Islamabad, Pakistan. A suicide bomber killed at least 31 people at a Shi’ite Muslim mosque in Pakistan’s capital during Friday prayers, according to two police officials. The attack was described as rare in heavily guarded Islamabad.
Attack and aftermath
Images from the scene showed bloodied bodies on the carpeted mosque floor amid shattered glass and debris as worshippers sought safety. Dozens of wounded victims lay in the garden outside the mosque while bystanders called for help.
Police account
The explosion struck during Friday prayers, police official Zafar Iqbal said. Two police officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the attacker was stopped at the mosque gate before detonating the explosive device.
Security context and previous incident
Bombings remain uncommon in Islamabad despite Pakistan facing a rising wave of militancy in recent years. A previous suicide bombing on 11 November killed 12 people in Islamabad and wounded 27 others in an attack Pakistan said was carried out by an Afghan national, and no group claimed responsibility.
Sectarian violence
Shi’ites, a minority in the predominantly Sunni Muslim nation of 241 million people, have historically been targeted in sectarian violence, including by the Sunni Islamist militant group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, which considers them heretics.
What impact will the attack have on security measures in Islamabad?