Suicide Attack Hits Shia Mosque in Islamabad, Killing 31

The apparent suicide bombing at a Shia mosque in Islamabad marks one of the deadliest attacks in Pakistan’s capital in years, exposing persistent vulnerabilities around religious sites even in heavily policed urban centers. The blast at Khadija Tul Kubra mosque during Friday prayers killed at least 31 people and wounded dozens, triggering a large-scale emergency response and renewed scrutiny of perimeter security in the capital.

Friday Prayers Turn Deadly

The explosion struck Khadija Tul Kubra mosque in Islamabad’s southeastern Tarlai Kalan area as worshippers gathered for Friday prayers. A senior police official told Al Jazeera that the incident appeared to be a suicide attack, though investigators were still confirming the cause.

“Our team is present at the site and we’re in process of confirming the cause,” the official said.

A security source told AFP, on condition of anonymity, that the attacker detonated himself after being stopped at the mosque gate. Footage verified by Al Jazeera showed bloodied bodies inside the prayer hall amid shattered glass and debris, underscoring the force of the blast in a confined space.

Hospitals Under Immediate Strain

In a statement, Islamabad’s administration said 169 people were transferred to hospital after rescue teams reached the site. AFP journalists at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences described adults and children arriving on stretchers or being carried by relatives and volunteers.

Medics and bystanders unloaded victims with blood-soaked clothing from ambulances and private vehicles; at least one casualty arrived in the trunk of a car as families crowded the guarded emergency ward.

The casualty count - at least 31 dead and dozens wounded - places the attack among the most lethal in the capital in recent years, immediately stretching trauma capacity and emergency coordination.

Condemnation From Islamabad and Abroad

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his “deep grief” over the attack while authorities sealed off the area as investigators collected evidence. No claim of responsibility was cited in official statements at the time of publication.

A Capital With Recent Precedent

The bombing revives memories of earlier high-casualty incidents in Islamabad. In November last year, a suicide bomber targeted the entrance of the Islamabad District Judicial Complex, killing at least 12 people and wounding dozens.

Further back, in September 2008, a suicide attacker drove a dump truck into the Marriott hotel, killing at least 63 people and injuring more than 250.

For now, officials are focused on identifying the attacker, mapping the route of entry, and accounting for the injured. With 169 people already moved through hospitals and emergency wards, the immediate priority remains stabilizing survivors while security services assess how a bomber reached a mosque gate during peak worship hours.