Kamikaze attack in a mosque in Islamabad, at least 31 dead
At least 169 people were injured. The massacre has not yet been claimed
Kamikaze attack in the Shiite Khadijah Al-Kubra mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan, during Friday prayers. The toll was heavy: at least 31 dead and 169 wounded, as reported by the district administration of the city. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
TV footage and pictures on social media show police and residents transporting the wounded to nearby hospitals. The Pakistani Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi, condemned the attack and called on the authorities to ensure the best medical care for the wounded, who were on their way to various hospitals in the city. Although there is no claim of responsibility yet, suspicion is likely to fall on militants such as the Pakistani Taliban or the Islamic State group, which has been blamed for previous attacks against Shia worshippers, a minority in the country. The militants often target security forces and civilians across Pakistan.
In November, a suicide bomber had blown himself up outside a court in Islamabad, killing 12 people. The latest attack comes almost a week after the Belucistan Liberation Army carried out several attacks in the insurgency-hit southwestern province, killing about 50 people. According to the army, security forces intervening in response to these attacks also killed more than 200 'terrorists'.
