A suicide bombing tore through a Shiite mosque in Islamabad on Friday, killing at least 31 worshippers and wounding 169 others.
The blast struck Imam Bargah Qasr-e-Khadijatul Kubra in the Tarlai district, marking the capital’s deadliest attack since 2008.
Officials said the explosion occurred during Friday prayers, when the mosque was filled with worshippers bent in quiet devotion.
A security source said the attacker was stopped at the gate and detonated explosives after a brief exchange of gunfire.
Witnesses described a thunderous blast ripping through the prayer hall as prayers began, shattering walls and bodies alike.
Worshipper Muhammad Kazim said gunfire erupted first, followed by an explosion while congregants remained bowed in prayer.
Another witness, Imran Mahmood, said volunteers tried to stop the attacker, wounding him before he detonated the device.
No group immediately claimed responsibility, though analysts said the attack bore hallmarks of Islamic State-linked or anti-Shiite militants.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif vowed those responsible would be found, as Pakistan’s leaders condemned the attack in stark terms.
At hospitals, AFP journalists saw bloodied victims, including children, rushed in on stretchers, car boots, and frantic arms.
Outside the mosque, pools of blood, scattered shoes, and torn prayer rugs lay behind yellow tape and armed security cordons.
The attack comes amid rising insurgency violence nationwide, as Pakistan battles militant threats while sectarian wounds remain painfully exposed.
