At least 31 individuals have been confirmed dead and 169 injured following an explosion at a mosque during Friday prayers in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, according to official reports.
Law enforcement authorities indicate that a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device upon approaching the Shia mosque’s entrance in the Tarlai district. Eyewitness accounts provided to the BBC detail the sound of gunfire preceding the explosion.
The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement released subsequently, identifying the alleged perpetrator with a name and photograph.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has condemned the incident, expressing “deep grief” and calling for a comprehensive investigation and the swift identification of those responsible for the attack.
In separate pronouncements, Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari stated that “targeting innocent civilians is a crime against humanity,” while Defence Minister Khawaja Asif alluded to potential involvement by India and Afghanistan.
Asif asserted in a social media communication that it has been “proven” the attacker traveled to and from Afghanistan, and “collusion between India and Afghanistan is being revealed.”
The Taliban government in Afghanistan characterized Khawaja Asif’s comments as “regrettable,” stating that the Pakistani minister “hastily attempted to attribute the incident to Afghanistan without presenting any credible evidence.”
IS claimed the attack on Friday through its “Pakistan Province” branch, disseminated via the group’s Telegram channels. IS’s Amaq “news agency” also issued a statement providing additional details.
Amaq alleged that the IS operative arrived at the “central temple [mosque]” in the Shahzad area of Tarlai district. Guards at the location reportedly attempted to stop the attacker at the external gate, at which point he discharged his pistol, injuring two, before entering the premises.
Amaq further reported that upon reaching the inner gate of the “temple,” the attacker detonated his “explosive vest” within a “crowd of Shia,” resulting in a “large number” of casualties.
IS identified the attacker as “Sayf Allah al-Ansari.” The nom de guerre Ansari is commonly used to denote an individual local to the area. Amaq’s report also included a photograph purportedly depicting the masked attacker.
Afghan foreign ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi previously condemned the attack and extended condolences, stating that such actions are a “contradiction to Islamic and humanitarian values.”
The Indian foreign ministry has likewise condemned the attack and offered condolences for the loss of life, dismissing the accusations of its potential involvement as “baseless.”
Talal Chaudhry, Pakistan’s minister of state for interior, stated that the suspect was not an Afghan citizen, according to local media reports.
A spokesperson for United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated that he condemned the attack in the “strongest terms” and called for those responsible to be “identified and brought to justice.”
Zaheer Abbas, who was inside the Khadijatul Kubra Mosque praying, reported hearing the initial sound of gunfire.
“After that, we bowed and then prostrated, and then there was an explosion,” he told BBC Urdu. “After which there were injured people lying everywhere.”
Images from the mosque following the attack depict footwear scattered across the floor, shattered glass, and individuals amidst the wreckage.
An emergency was declared as hospitals began receiving the wounded, and an appeal was issued for blood donations.
Abbas, who stated he “lost his senses” in the immediate aftermath of the explosion, was eventually extracted by emergency services and transported to a hospital, where he was promptly discharged.
“Fortunately, I did not suffer much injury,” he stated.
According to Pakistan’s defence minister, the attacker initiated gunfire and detonated the explosive device after being challenged by security personnel.
The mosque’s caretaker, Syed Ashfaq, who resides next door, also heard gunfire and began running towards the mosque to assist.
“By the time I reached it there had already been an explosion,” he told the BBC. “Bodies were lying everywhere, some were missing arms, some missing legs. We took the most injured in our own vehicle [to hospital].”
Islamabad’s deputy commissioner, Irfan Memon, reported on X that the death toll stood at 31, with 169 individuals injured.
Photographs from local hospitals show the injured being transported by private vehicles and ambulances, with an AFP news agency photographer reporting witnessing dozens of people arriving at hospitals.
Attacks are relatively infrequent in the capital, although an incident in November resulted in 12 fatalities. An additional 27 individuals were injured in the explosion, which occurred outside a courthouse.
The explosion on Friday follows a week of violence in which 58 civilians were killed in coordinated attacks in the province of Balochistan.
The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) rebel group claimed responsibility for the attacks. The military, which has been engaged in an insurgency in the region for decades, stated that it had killed over 200 militants in response.
Last year was also Pakistan’s deadliest in over a decade, with combat-related deaths increasing by 74%. Militants accounted for more than half of the fatalities, according to a recent report by an independent think tank.
The Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) reported that violence in Pakistan resulted in 3,413 deaths, an increase from 1,950 in 2024, with 2,138 militants killed.
Additional reporting Caroline Davies