Islamabad was plunged into grief on Friday after a suicide bomber struck an imambargah during congregational prayers, killing at least 31 people and injuring another 169, according to officials.
The blast took place at Imambargah Khadijah-tul-Kubra in the Tarlai area of the federal capital, tearing through the prayer hall just as worshippers had begun Friday prayers.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif alleged that the attacker had links to both India and Afghanistan, claiming that evidence showed the suspected bomber had travelled to and from Afghanistan.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of terror and devastation. Muhammad Kazim, 52, said the explosion was “extremely powerful” and struck moments after prayers began.
“During sajda, we heard gunfire,” he told AFP. “While we were still bowing, the explosion went off.”
Kazim, originally from Gilgit-Baltistan and now residing in Islamabad, escaped without injuries but rushed his wounded friend to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) for treatment.
“Debris fell from the roof and windows shattered,” he recalled. “When I stepped outside, bodies were lying everywhere. Many people had lost their lives.”
In the aftermath, scenes of mourning unfolded across the capital. Grief-stricken relatives beat their chests and wept outside hospitals, while ambulances ferried the injured amid heavy security. Forensic teams combed the blast site, and paramilitary and army personnel were deployed to secure the area as investigators searched for evidence.
Header image: Relatives mourn outside a hospital in Islamabad following the suicide bombing at the Khadijah-tul-Kubra imambargah on February 6. — AFP