At least 31 people were killed and 169 injured after an explosion struck a Shia imambargah in Islamabad during Friday prayers, according to a district administration spokesperson.
Officials said the blast hit Imambargah Khadijah al-Kubra in the Tarlai area of the federal capital. Images and eyewitness accounts from the scene showed bodies and debris inside the prayer hall, with injured worshippers moved outside as people called for help.
Islamabad Capital Territory Police spokesperson Taqi Jawad said it was too soon to confirm the exact nature of the blast, but initial indications pointed towards a suicide attack. Separate security accounts said the attacker was challenged at the entrance to the main hall, opened fire, and then detonated inside the building.
Rescue 1122 and police teams launched emergency operations and the site was sealed off for scene preservation and forensic work. Assistant commissioners were assigned to coordinate treatment across hospitals, according to local officials.
An emergency was declared at Islamabad’s Polyclinic, the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and CDA Hospital, with multiple departments activated to handle the influx of casualties.
The attack took place during a two-day official visit to Pakistan by Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, adding to the security focus in the capital.
Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack and expressed condolences for those killed, while other political figures issued appeals for unity and support for the injured.
No group was immediately confirmed as responsible. Some reporting described the attack as bearing similarities to previous sectarian attacks targeting Shia places of worship, while investigations continued.