Suicide attack at Shia religious centre in Islamabad kills 30, over 160 injured
Islamabad: At least 30 people were killed and more than 160 injured after a devastating suicide bomb attack targeted a Shia religious centre in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad on Thursday, according to police and hospital officials.
The explosion took place at the Tarlai Imambargah located in the Shahzad Town area of the federal capital. The attack occurred during a religious gathering, causing panic and chaos among devotees present at the site, Pakistani daily Dawn reported.
Police sources confirmed that the suicide bomber was intercepted at the main gate of the Imambargah by security personnel. However, before he could be stopped, he detonated the explosives strapped to his body, resulting in massive casualties.
“A suspicious person tried to enter the premises. When he was stopped for checking, he blew himself up at the entrance,” a senior police officer said. The powerful blast ripped through the crowded area, leaving bodies and debris scattered around.
No militant organisation has so far claimed responsibility for the attack. However, preliminary investigations suggest that the attacker was a foreign national with alleged links to Fitna al-Khawarij, a term commonly used by Pakistani authorities to refer to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Security agencies have launched an extensive probe to determine how the attacker managed to reach the high-security zone and whether he had local accomplices.
Rescue teams and police officials rushed to the spot immediately after the blast and launched relief operations. Ambulances ferried the injured to nearby hospitals, where doctors struggled to cope with the sudden influx of victims.
A spokesperson of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) hospital confirmed that an emergency had been declared. “All doctors and paramedical staff have been called in. The injured are being shifted to PIMS and Polyclinic hospitals for urgent treatment,” the spokesperson said.
Eyewitnesses described horrifying scenes at the blast site. “There was a huge explosion and everything went dark for a few seconds. People were screaming and running in all directions,” said a local resident who was near the Imambargah at the time of the attack.
The latest bombing has once again highlighted the fragile security situation in Pakistan, particularly the threats faced by minority Shia communities. It comes barely three months after a similar suicide attack outside a district court in Islamabad in November last year, which killed 12 people.
Political leaders across Pakistan have condemned the attack and called for strict action against extremist elements. The federal government has ordered heightened security at religious sites and public places across the country.
As investigations continue, authorities fear the death toll could rise further, as many of the injured are reported to be in critical condition.
Also Read: Illegal country gun manufacturing racket busted in Shivamogga; carpenter arrested
