31 Killed, Nearly 170 Injured in Suicide Blast at Shia Mosque in Islamabad

Islamabad: At least 31 people were killed and nearly 170 others injured after a suicide bomber detonated himself at a Shia mosque during Friday prayers in Pakistan’s capital on Friday.

As per reports, the blast occurred at the Khadijatul Kubra mosque-cum-imambargah in Islamabad’s Tarlai locality.

According to police, the attacker was intercepted at the entrance of the imambargah but managed to set off the explosive device before being stopped completely.

A spokesperson of the district administration confirmed the casualty figures, stating that 31 people lost their lives while 169 others sustained injuries.

Earlier, Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon said that more than 80 injured persons and at least 15 bodies had been shifted to various hospitals.

No militant outfit has so far claimed responsibility for the attack. However, police sources indicated that the suicide bomber was a foreign national and was suspected to have links with Fitna al Khwaraji, the term used by authorities for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Following the blast, police and Rescue 1122 teams rushed to the spot and launched rescue and evacuation operations.

Army personnel and Rangers later sealed off the area as security forces carried out searches in and around the site.

Hospitals across Islamabad were put on emergency footing to handle the influx of injured victims.

The attack comes less than three months after a suicide bombing outside a district and sessions court in the capital that left 12 people dead.

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