At least 31 people have been martyred and 169 injured in an explosion at a mosque during Friday prayers in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, according to a city official.
Police officials say a suicide bomber detonated a device after approaching the gates of the Shia mosque in the Tarlai area of the city, while eyewitnesses have told that the blast was preceded by the sound of gunfire.
An emergency was declared as hospitals began to receive the wounded, with an appeal sent out for blood donations.
Condemning the incident, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed “deep grief” as he called for a thorough investigation and the immediate identification of those behind the attack.
The sources further emphasized that the entire nation stands united like a “wall of steel” against such heinous and cowardly acts. Attacks on mosques and innocent civilians will not shake the resolve of the Pakistani people.
Suicide Bomber Identified
According to government sources, the suicide bomber received terrorist training in Afghanistan and had traveled to the country multiple times, returning there recently.
Officials stated that terrorist groups operating in Afghanistan, under the protection of the Taliban regime, pose a security threat. They added that behind every terrorist attack in Pakistan, there is a nexus involving Afghanistan and India.
About The Author
