Islamabad : A suicide bombing in Islamabad’s Tarlai neighborhood during Friday prayers claimed the lives of at least 31 people and left dozens more injured, according to police and district officials.
Authorities said the blast occurred at the entrance of Imambargah Khadijat-ul-Kubra when a suspected attacker was stopped by security and detonated the explosives he was carrying.
Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon stated in a post on X that more than 80 worshippers were wounded in the attack, while 15 victims were pronounced dead upon arrival at hospitals.
Following the explosion, emergency protocols were activated at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Polyclinic Hospital, and CDA Hospital. Assistant commissioners were assigned to oversee treatment efforts as medical teams worked to handle the surge of casualties.
Hospital sources confirmed that PIMS alone received 11 bodies and around 60 injured individuals, reaching full capacity. Due to the heavy inflow of patients, several wounded were shifted to other healthcare facilities in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
Meanwhile, law enforcement agencies, along with Pakistan Army troops and Rangers, secured the area and launched security operations in and around the blast site.
President Asif Ali Zardari expressed deep grief over the tragedy and conveyed condolences to the families of those who lost their lives, also praying for the swift recovery of the injured.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the attack, calling it a senseless act of violence and offering sympathies to the affected families.
Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, described the incident as a cruel and cowardly assault, stressing that attacks on places of worship are an attack on humanity and moral values.
Iran’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Reza Amiri, also denounced the bombing and extended heartfelt sympathies to the victims and the government, wishing the injured a speedy recovery.
