Suicide Blast at Shia Mosque in Islamabad Kills 31

At least 31 people were killed and 169 others injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up at a Shia mosque during Friday prayers in Pakistan's capital, officials said, in one of the worst terror attacks targeting the community in recent years.

According to a statement from the police, the powerful explosion, which could be heard distantly, happened at the Khadijah al-Kubra mosque-cum-imambargah in the Tarlai neighbourhood of Islamabad.

Police and witnesses report that the suicide bomber detonated himself after being halted at the imambargah's gate.

Irfan Nawaz Memon, the deputy commissioner for Islamabad, reported that at least 31 people had died and 169 others, some gravely, had been injured.

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).

TTP spokesman Muhammad Khurasani said in a statement that his group had nothing to do with the attack and that its goals were limited to Pakistan's security establishments and those who assisted them.

According to Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) police spokeswoman Taqi Jawad, one of the victims of the explosion was a cousin of Islamabad Inspector General Police (IGP) Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi, while another family member of the police head was hurt.

Citing eyewitnesses, Geo News reported that the terrorist first opened fire and then detonated himself.

TV footage showed multiple bodies lying on the floor surrounded by shards of glass and debris.

Police and Rescue 1122 personnel were involved in rescue operations.

Officials fear the death toll could increase as some of the injured were in critical condition.

An emergency was declared in the hospitals of the capital to deal with the situation, as the injured were being shifted to hospitals.

Quoting the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) administration, the Express Tribune newspaper said that at least 18 bodies were brought to the hospital, while more than 78 injured were also received.

Four injured people were brought to Rawalpindi’s Benazir Bhutto Hospital, where one of them later died during treatment, authorities said.

Security measures are in place in and around the explosion site, and the area has been blocked off by army forces and Rangers.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the president of Uzbekistan, was in Pakistan on Friday when the attack occurred. He came here on Thursday for a two-day state visit.

In separate remarks, Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and President Asif Ali Zardari denounced the attack.

“Targeting innocent civilians is a crime against humanity,” Zardari said and prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured.

Shehbaz directed Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to thoroughly investigate the incident, identify the culprits and bring them to justice immediately.

Abbas, a prominent Shia leader, strongly condemned the attack and said that targeting places of worship is a direct attack on humanity, religion and social values, which cannot be tolerated under any circumstances.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also condemned the “cowardly suicide attack on innocent worshippers during Friday prayers at a Shia imambargah in Islamabad, killing dozens”.

"Targeting places of worship and civilians is a heinous crime against humanity and a blatant violation of Islamic principles. Pakistan stands united against terrorism in all its forms. This barbarity will not intimidate us and extremists will be brought to full account," Dar said.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif claimed the involvement of India and Afghanistan in the attack, without providing any evidence in support of his claim.

In a social media post, he claimed that “it has been proved the terrorist involved in the attack travelled to and from Afghanistan. The collusion between India and Afghanistan is being revealed." Asif said that security guards at the imambargah had confronted the attacker, who opened fire. "He then blew himself up, standing in the last row of worshippers." The minister vowed that the state would respond to this “cruelty with full force”.

Although the attacker was not an Afghan national, officials were able to ascertain through forensic tests how frequently he had visited Afghanistan, Interior Minister Tallal Chaudhry informed the media.

Chaudhry noted the actions of the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and claimed that a similar trend was observed in the nation's terror episodes.

“They (terrorists) are not carrying out attacks for religion, but for dollars … Whether they belong to the BLA, TTP or any other group, they are paid in dollars,” he said.

The minister said that Islamabad had repeatedly urged Afghanistan "not to provide space to terrorists and not to become India’s proxy".

Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry strongly condemned the attack, expressing grief over the loss of lives in the “cowardly act”.

"Such acts of terrorism cannot dampen the morale of the nation. The need of the hour is that we all stand united for peace, tolerance, and stability, and express solidarity with law enforcement agencies,” said Chaudhry, who is a native of Islamabad and belongs to the area where the blast occurred.

The US, UK, Iran, and other nations all vehemently denounced the attack.

The attack in Islamabad coincides with two other instances in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, which borders Afghanistan, where security forces killed 24 militants.

An army statement claims that 14 "khwarij were sent to hell" during an intelligence-based operation that took place in KP's Orakzai area on February 4-5.

In the province's Khyber area, another intelligence-based operation was carried out. The army said that ten additional Khwarij were successfully neutralised during the ensuing gunfight.

Less than three months had passed since a suicide bomber in Islamabad killed 12 people in a blast outside a district and sessions court building when Friday's incident occurred.

The TTP, also known as the Pakistan Taliban, has been blamed for several deadly attacks across Pakistan, including an attack on army headquarters in 2009, assaults on military bases and the 2008 bombing of the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad - the deadliest attack in the national capital that killed 54 people and wounded more than 250.