Suicide bombing at Shiite mosque in Islamabad kills at least 31 people
A blast during Friday prayers at a mosque in Pakistan's capital wounded 169 others. Police are investigating the attack.
26 min ago
A suicide bombing at a Shiite mosque in Islamabad killed at least 31 people and wounded 169 others during Friday prayers, according to officials and police.
The explosion occurred at the Khadija Tul Kubra mosque in the Tarlai area on the outskirts of Pakistan's capital. The blast struck while a large number of worshippers were gathered for Friday prayers, the weekly congregational prayer observed at mosques across the country.
Police spokesperson Taqi Jawad said the explosion was a suicide attack, though the cause had not been immediately established. According to Reuters, police sources said the attacker was stopped at the gate of the mosque before detonating the bomb. A security source told AFP news agency on condition of anonymity that a suicide bomber was behind the attack.
Hospitals across Islamabad declared emergencies to handle the influx of wounded. District administration officials said the death toll could rise further, as some of the injured were reported to be in critical condition.
Eyewitness accounts described a chaotic scene at the mosque. Hussain Shah, who was praying in the mosque's courtyard when the explosion occurred, said he immediately realized a major attack had happened. When he entered the mosque, many of the injured were screaming and crying out for help. Shah said he counted about 30 bodies inside the mosque.
Syed Ashfaq, the mosque's caretaker who lives nearby, told the BBC he heard gunshots and ran from his home, thinking there was a problem in the area. Television footage and social media images showed police and residents transporting the injured to nearby hospitals, with rescuers working at the scene.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the incident, expressing "deep grief" over the attack. Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar called it a "cowardly suicide attack on innocent worshippers" and stated that "targeting places of worship and civilians is a heinous crime against humanity and a blatant violation of Islamic principles."
Police spokesperson Taqi Jawad told news outlets that preliminary investigations suggested the Pakistani Taliban, or Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, may have been responsible. However, no group had claimed responsibility for the attack as of Friday afternoon.