According to initial reports, a suicide attacker detonated explosives inside the Khadijah al-Kubra (SA) Hussainiya and Mosque while Friday prayers were underway, killing at least 31 worshippers and injuring more than 169 others. Many of the wounded are reported to be in critical condition.
Eyewitnesses said the attacker first opened fire at the main entrance of the Hussainiya, wounding security guards stationed there. He then ran toward the mosque and carried out the suicide blast at the entrance while worshippers were performing the second unit of the Friday prayer.
Following the explosion, police forces, security agencies, and bomb disposal units rushed to the scene, cordoning off the area and launching an investigation into the attack. Security has since been tightened across the capital amid fears of further incidents.
Hospitals in Islamabad, including the Polyclinic Hospital, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), and the CDA Hospital, declared a state of emergency. All leave for medical staff was canceled as doctors and nurses worked to treat the large number of casualties.
Islamabad’s Polyclinic Hospital also issued an urgent appeal for blood donations, with medical officials warning of a severe shortage as efforts continue to save the lives of the injured.
The attack is the latest in a series of violent incidents targeting religious minorities in Pakistan, raising renewed concerns over security at places of worship and the ongoing threat posed by extremist groups in the country.
