Suicide bombing at Shia mosque in Pakistan kills 31

A suicide bombing at a Shia mosque on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan, killed at least 31 people and wounded more than 160 on Friday. Geo News reported, citing local officials.

The blast occurred at the Imambargah Khadijat-ul-Kubra in the Tarlai area of southeastern Islamabad. Quoted by Geo News, police sources said the attacker was linked to Fitna al-Khawarij, a term Pakistani authorities use for the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

According to eyewitness accounts cited by the broadcaster, the attacker was stopped by guards at the entrance of the mosque, prompting an exchange of gunfire. The bomber then ran inside the compound and detonated his explosives while prayers were underway.

The explosion shattered windows of the three-storey mosque and damaged nearby homes, officials said. Several security guards were also injured during the incident.

Rescue teams, police, army troops and paramilitary Rangers sealed off the area as ambulances transported the dead and wounded to hospitals. Islamabad’s Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) said it was overwhelmed by casualties, prompting authorities to transfer some injured patients to medical facilities in other parts of Islamabad and the neighbouring city of Rawalpindi.

Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon said emergencies had been declared at PIMS, Polyclinic Hospital and the Capital Development Authority hospital, with additional officials deployed to oversee treatment.

Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack and offered condolences to the families of the victims. Opposition leaders also criticised what they described as a serious lapse in security in the capital.

No group has formally claimed responsibility for the attack. Pakistan has faced periodic militant violence in recent years, including attacks targeting religious minorities and security forces.