A bombing at a mosque in Islamabad resulted in at least 31 deaths and more than 169 injuries. The explosion occurred during Friday prayers at the Khadijatul‑Kubra Mosque in the Tarlai Kalan neighborhood, sending the city’s hospitals into a state of emergency.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack and expressed deep sympathy for the victims. Police suspect a suicide bomber was stopped at the mosque’s entrance and, after a standoff, detonated the device. Witnesses reported a shootout between assailants and the mosque’s security forces before the explosion.
Security forces have cordoned off the area and begun investigations. President Asif Ali Zardari described the attack as a crime against humanity, saying, “An attack on innocent civilians is a crime against humanity”. The government has placed all hospitals in Islamabad and Rawalpindi on high alert to care for the wounded.
