A suicide bomber blew himself up at a Shia mosque during Friday prayers in Pakistan’s capital, killing at least 31 people and injuring 169 others, said officials, in one of the worst terror attacks targeting the community in recent years.
The powerful explosion, which was heard from a far distance, took place at Khadijatul Kubra mosque-cum-imambargah in the Tarlai area of Islamabad, the police said in a statement.
The suicide bomber was stopped at the gate of the imambargah, but he detonated himself, police and eyewitnesses said.
At least 31 people were killed and 169 others injured in the explosion, a district administration spokesperson said in a post on X.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the blast. However, police sources said that the attacker was a foreign national and had links with Fitna al Khwaraji, a term used for Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Citing eyewitnesses, Geo News reported that the terrorist first opened fire and then detonated himself.