Islamabad — At least 31 people have been killed and dozens more wounded in an apparent suicide attack at a Shia mosque in Pakistan’s capital, authorities said Friday. The explosion occurred at the Khadija Tul Kubra mosque in the southeastern Tarlai Kalan area during Friday prayers, one of the deadliest attacks in Islamabad in recent years.
A senior police official, speaking to Al Jazeera on condition of anonymity, said the blast appeared to be a suicide attack, though the cause is still being formally confirmed. A security source told AFP that the attacker detonated explosives after being stopped at the mosque’s gate.
Rescue teams rushed to the scene, and the Islamabad administration said 169 people were transported to hospitals following the incident. Video footage circulating on social media and verified by Al Jazeera showed bloodied bodies amid debris and shattered glass inside the mosque.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his “deep grief” over the attack, describing it as a tragic loss for the community.
The attack comes against a backdrop of recurring militant violence in Islamabad. In November 2024, a suicide bomber struck the District Judicial Complex, killing at least 12 people. In September 2008, a dump truck suicide bombing at the Marriott Hotel in the capital killed at least 63 people and wounded more than 250.
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Authorities have increased security around other religious sites in the city and are investigating the incident, examining whether it was linked to sectarian tensions or broader militant networks.
Witnesses described a chaotic scene at the mosque, with survivors helping the injured while emergency services worked to clear debris and attend to the wounded. Hospitals in the city are reportedly treating victims for blast injuries and shrapnel wounds, including burns and broken bones.
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The Pakistani government condemned the attack, pledging to pursue those responsible. Security experts note that such attacks against Shia worshippers are often claimed by extremist groups seeking to inflame sectarian divisions, though no group has immediately claimed responsibility.
The Islamabad mosque blast marks a tragic reminder of ongoing security challenges in Pakistan, underscoring the vulnerability of public places of worship to attacks during peak gatherings such as Friday prayers.