The Islamabad police have confirmed the blast to be an attack and launched an investigation. Some of the wounded were listed as being in critical condition. A massive bomb blast ripped through a Shia religious centre on the outskirts of Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, on Friday, killing at least 31 and injuring over 150 others.
The blast, said to be a suicide attack, occurred during the Friday prayers. The Islamabad police have confirmed the blast to be an attack and launched an investigation. Some of the wounded were listed as being in critical condition.
The blast occurred during Friday prayers at a Shia religious place on the outskirts of Islamabad. The death toll was initially reported to be 10, which has repeatedly risen and now stands at 31, according to Dawn.
Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Irfan Memon and police confirmed that the blast was an attack and said an investigation is underway.
Eyewitnesses told Geo News that the attacker first opened fire and then resorted to the bombing. The main door is at least 30 metres away from the imambargah’s gate. When the attacker reached the main gate, the religious facility’s guards tried to stop him, following which an exchange of fire took place. He then ran inside at least 20 metres, and as the prayer was underway, he blew himself up, the Geo report added.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the explosion, but suspicion is likely to fall on militants such as the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) or the Islamic State group, which has been blamed for previous attacks on Shiite worshippers, a minority in the country. Militants often target security forces and civilians across Pakistan. In November, a suicide bomber had struck outside a court in Islamabad, killing 12 people.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack in separate statements and extended condolences to the families of those killed. Zardari said that targeting innocent civilians is a “crime against humanity”, adding that Pakistan stands with the affected families. On the other hand, PM Sharif said he has ordered a full investigation and said that those responsible must be identified and punished.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also condemned the attack and asked authorities to ensure the provision of the best medical care to the wounded.
Friday’s attack occurred as Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who is on an official two-day visit, was attending an event with Sharif. The event in Islamabad was several miles away from the site of the explosion.
The latest attack comes nearly a week after the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) carried out multiple attacks in insurgency-hit southwestern Balochistan province, killing about 50 people. Security forces responding to those attacks also killed more than 200 “terrorists,” according to the military.
