ISLAMABAD: At least 31 people were killed in a suicide bombing in Islamabad’s Tarlai area on Friday, police and the district administration confirmed.
The police, in a statement, said the explosion took place during Friday prayers at Imambargah Khadijat-ul-Kubra, located in the federal capital’s Tarlai area.
According to officials, the suicide bomber detonated himself after being stopped at the entrance of the mosque.
Meanwhile, Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon, in a post on X, said that more than 169 people were injured in the blast in the federal capital, while 15 victims have so far been brought dead to different hospitals.
He noted that an emergency has been imposed at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), Polyclinic Hospital and the Capital Development Authority (CDA) hospital.
The statement added that assistant commissioners have been deployed at various hospitals to supervise the treatment and medical care of the injured. The site of the blast has been completely sealed, he added.
Pims authorities said that so far, 11 bodies and 60 injured persons have been brought. They added that the hospital has reached its capacity to accommodate the wounded.
Due to the pressure on facilities in the capital, the injured are also being shifted to hospitals in other parts of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
Meanwhile, police, Pakistan Army troops and Rangers have cordoned off the area and security operations are underway in and around the site of the blast.
Condolences pour in
President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari expressed deep grief and sorrow over the blast and offered condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the blast and prayed for their patience.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has condemned the bombing. He expressed deep sorrow and grief over the martyrdoms in the blast and extended his sympathies to the bereaved families.
Separately, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, expressed deep grief over the blast and extended condolences and sympathy to the families of the martyrs, while praying for the early recovery of the injured.
He strongly condemned the “brutal and cowardly” attack and said that such a terrorist incident in the federal capital was not only a serious failure to protect human lives but also raised major questions over the performance of the administration.
The opposition leader said targeting places of worship was a direct assault on humanity, religion and social values and could not be tolerated under any circumstances.
Meanwhile, Iran Ambassador to Pakistan, Reza Amiri, condemned the terrorist attack and extended “sincere and deepest condolences” to the government and the people of Pakistan, particularly to the bereaved families.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families who have lost their loved ones, and we pray for the safe and speedy recovery of the injured,” he wrote on X.
Federal Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry also said that he strongly condemns, in the strongest terms, the tragic explosion. “My heart is deeply grieved by the loss of precious lives in this cowardly act.”
