Islamabad: Terrorist organization Islamic State (ISIS) has claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing at a Shia mosque in the Pakistani capital on Friday, in which at least 69 people were killed and more than 170 were injured.
Officials said authorities have identified the attacker and his accomplices and arrested the mastermind of the attack as well as several suspects, including the attacker’s brother, mother and other relatives, who were arrested during overnight raids in Islamabad and northwestern Pakistan, and according to reports, a police officer was also killed in the operation.
The Islamic State group indicated that it considers Pakistani Shias as legitimate targets, describing them as a “human reservoir” that provides recruits to Shia militias fighting Islamic State in Syria.
The attack targeted the Qasr-e-Khadijatul Kubra Imambara in Islamabad’s Tarlai area during Friday prayers, making it one of the deadliest terror incidents in the city since the 2008 Marriott Hotel suicide bombing that killed 63 people and injured more than 250. In November, a suicide bomber attacked a courthouse in the capital, killing 12 people.
The blast occurred when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive inside the mosque while worshipers had gathered for prayers. Emergency services reached the spot immediately after the blast and rescue operations were launched. Many of the injured were admitted to nearby hospitals, with officials warning that the death toll could rise further as many of the victims were in critical condition.
Visuals from the spot showed scenes of devastation, with worshipers lying unconscious on the ground, slippers scattered around them, broken glass and debris from the damaged building. Eyewitnesses said that the blast caused chaos and confusion in the place of worship, due to which the prayers suddenly stopped.