A devastating suicide bombing struck Imambargah Khadijat-ul-Kubra in Islamabad’s Tarlai area on Friday during Friday prayers, leaving at least 31 worshippers martyred and more than 160 injured, officials confirmed.
Security sources said the attacker was linked to Fitna al-Khawarij, the banned militant network associated with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The bomber attempted to enter the imambargah but was intercepted by security guards at the main gate. An exchange of gunfire followed, after which the attacker forced his way inside and detonated explosives while prayers were underway.
Eyewitness accounts revealed that the assailant opened fire before carrying out the suicide blast. The explosion was so powerful that it shattered windows of the three-storey imambargah and damaged nearby residential buildings. Several security guards were also injured during the confrontation.
Following the blast, Pakistan Army troops, Rangers, and police sealed off the area as rescue teams launched emergency operations. Victims were shifted to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Polyclinic Hospital, and CDA Hospital. Hospital authorities said PIMS had reached maximum capacity, prompting the transfer of injured persons to medical facilities in other parts of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon confirmed that an emergency was imposed at major hospitals, with assistant commissioners deployed to oversee medical treatment and facilitate relief efforts.
The attack triggered widespread condemnation. President Asif Ali Zardari expressed deep sorrow and offered condolences to the families of the martyrs. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly denounced the attack, calling it a heinous act and expressing solidarity with the victims’ families.
Opposition leaders also condemned the incident. Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas termed the attack a brutal assault on humanity and questioned the failure to protect worshippers in the federal capital. He stressed that targeting places of worship was intolerable under any circumstances.
International reactions also followed. Iran’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Reza Amiri, strongly condemned the attack and conveyed heartfelt condolences, praying for the swift recovery of the injured.
Federal Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry described the bombing as a cowardly act, while former finance minister Miftah Ismail called it “horrifying,” questioning how anyone could attack worshippers during Friday prayers.
