Suicide Bomber Kills 31 in Islamabad Shiite Mosque, Scores Injured

At least 31 people have been killed and 169 others injured after a suicide bomber struck a Shiite mosque during Friday prayers in Islamabad, Pakistan, authorities confirmed.

The attack, which took place at the Khadija Tul Kubra Imambargah on the outskirts of the capital, is the deadliest in Pakistan since January 2023, when a blast at a mosque in Peshawar claimed more than 100 lives.

Eyewitness Accounts
“We had just begun the prayer when we heard gunfire, followed by a powerful explosion,” said Syed Ameer Hussain Shah, 47, a worshipper who survived the blast. “The mosque hall was full, with more than 400 people inside. I got injured as well.”

Images from the scene show bodies lying on the floor amid debris and shards of glass, while the wounded were treated in the mosque gardens and rushed to nearby hospitals.

Militant Threat and Responsibility
Internal investigations suggest that the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a Sunni Islamist militant group, may be responsible for the attack, though no group has officially claimed responsibility. The TTP has previously targeted Pakistan’s minority Shiite community, labeling them heretics.

Security experts note that while Pakistan has seen rising militancy in recent years, attacks in the heavily guarded capital remain relatively rare. A November 2025 suicide bombing in Islamabad killed 12 people, marking the deadliest attack in the city in nearly two decades.

National and International Reactions
Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the attack as a “crime against humanity,” pledging that the nation stands “shoulder to shoulder with the families affected.”

The US embassy in Islamabad also condemned the bombing, stating: “Acts of terror and violence against civilians and places of worship are unacceptable. The people of Pakistan deserve safety, dignity, and the ability to practice their faith without fear.”

The incident underscores the ongoing threat posed by militant groups in Pakistan and the vulnerability of religious sites to targeted attac