New Delhi: A powerful explosion ripped through a crowded Shiite mosque on the outskirts of Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, on Friday, killing at least 24 people and injuring more than 100 others, officials and local media reported.
The blast occurred during Friday prayers at the Terlai Imambargah in the Shehzad Town area of Islamabad, one of several attacks in recent weeks that highlight recurring violence across the country.
Security sources and local media said a suicide attacker struck the packed mosque just before the afternoon congregation ended. The injured, many in critical condition, were rushed to nearby hospitals as ambulances and rescue teams responded.
The explosion’s blast radius caused structural damage to the mosque and surrounding buildings, sowing panic among worshippers and residents. Authorities have cordoned off the area as forensic teams begin investigating the scene.
Local police spokespersons put the confirmed death toll at 24, with more than 100 wounded — including elderly worshippers and children. Some reports earlier cited slightly lower tolls, but hospital figures have since updated the numbers.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the attack, describing it as a “cowardly act of terror targeting innocent civilians”. Government officials said an immediate investigation has been launched, and additional security measures have been ordered in Islamabad and other major cities.
No militant group has claimed responsibility for the attack as of midday Friday, but suspicion is likely to fall on extremist organisations such as the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) or regional affiliates of Islamic State — both of which have carried out sectarian and mass-casualty assaults in recent years.
Authorities, however, have not publicly linked the blast to any specific group while forensic and intelligence investigations continue.
The mosque bombing comes amid a wider uptick in militant violence in Pakistan, particularly in provinces such as Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where insurgent attacks on civilians and security forces have surged. In January alone, Pakistan witnessed a sharp increase in militant attacks countrywide, contributing to dozens of deaths and injuries across multiple incidents.
Pakistan’s army and counter-terrorism forces have been engaged in operations aimed at dismantling extremist networks and insurgencies. But the incident adds to the challenges Pakistan’s security establishment faces as it battles militant groups which still retain the capability to strike in both urban and rural areas.
