AGENCY
ISLAMABAD: At least 31 people were killed and 169 others injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up at a Shia mosque during Friday prayers in Pakistan’s capital, officials said, in one of the worst terror attacks targeting the community in recent years.
The powerful explosion, which was heard from a far distance, took place at Khadijah al-Kubra mosque-cum-imambargah in the Tarlai area of Islamabad, the police said in a statement.
The suicide bomber was stopped at the gate of the imambargah, but he detonated himself, police and eyewitnesses said.
Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon confirmed that at least 31 people have been killed and 169 others injured – some of them critically.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the blast. However, police sources said that the attacker was a foreign national and had links with Fitna al Khwaraji, a term used for Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
A cousin of Islamabad Inspector General Police (IGP) Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi was among those killed in the blast, while another relative of the police chief was injured, said Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) police spokesperson Taqi Jawad.
Citing eyewitnesses, Geo News reported that the terrorist first opened fire and then detonated himself.
TV footage showed multiple bodies lying on the floor surrounded by shards of glass and debris.
Police and Rescue 1122 personnel were involved in rescue operations.
Officials fear the death toll could increase as some of the injured were in critical condition.
An emergency was declared in the hospitals of the capital to deal with the situation, as the injured were being shifted to hospitals.
Quoting the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) administration, the Express Tribune newspaper said that at least 18 bodies were brought to the hospital, while more than 78 injured were also received.
Four injured people were brought to Rawalpindi’s Benazir Bhutto Hospital, where one of them later died during treatment, authorities said.
The army troops and Rangers have cordoned off the area, and security operations are underway in and around the site of the blast.
Friday’s attack came when Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was visiting Pakistan. He arrived here on a two-day state visit on Thursday.
President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas condemned the attack in separate statements.
“Targeting innocent civilians is a crime against humanity,” Zardari said and prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured.
Shehbaz directed Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to thoroughly investigate the incident, identify the culprits and bring them to justice immediately.
Abbas, a prominent Shia leader, strongly condemned the attack and said that targeting places of worship is a direct attack on humanity, religion and social values, which cannot be tolerated under any circumstances.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also condemned the “cowardly suicide attack on innocent worshippers during Friday prayers at a Shia imambargah in Islamabad, killing dozens”.
“Targeting places of worship and civilians is a heinous crime against humanity and a blatant violation of Islamic principles. Pakistan stands united against terrorism in all its forms. This barbarity will not intimidate us and extremists will be brought to full account,” Dar said.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif claimed the involvement of India and Afghanistan in the attack, without providing any evidence in support of his claim.
In a social media post, he claimed that “it has been proved the terrorist involved in the attack travelled to and from Afghanistan. The collusion between India and Afghanistan is being revealed.”
Asif said that security guards at the imambargah had confronted the attacker, who opened fire. “He then blew himself up, standing in the last row of worshippers.”
The minister vowed that the state would respond to this “cruelty with full force”.
Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry strongly condemned the attack, expressing grief over the loss of lives in the “cowardly act”.
“Such acts of terrorism cannot dampen the morale of the nation. The need of the hour is that we all stand united for peace, tolerance, and stability, and express solidarity with law enforcement agencies,” said Chaudhry, who is a native of Islamabad and belongs to the area where the blast occurred.
Iran, the US, the UK and other countries also strongly condemned the attack.
The Islamabad attack comes as the security forces killed 24 militants in two separate incidents in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, bordering Afghanistan.
According to an army statement, an intelligence-based operation was conducted in Orakzai district of KP on Feb 4-5 in which 14 “khwarij were sent to hell”.
Another intelligence-based operation was conducted in the Khyber district of the province. “In ensuing fire exchange, 10 more khwarij were effectively neutralised,” the army said.
Friday’s attack came less than three months after a suicide bomber killed 12 people in a blast outside a district and sessions court building in Islamabad.
The TTP, also known as the Pakistan Taliban, has been blamed for several deadly attacks across Pakistan, including an attack on army headquarters in 2009, assaults on military bases and the 2008 bombing of the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad – the deadliest attack in the national capital that killed 54 people and wounded more than 250. (PTI)