The "Islamic State" organization claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that killed at least 31 people and wounded 169 others on Friday in a Shiite mosque in Islamabad, while thousands of Pakistanis gathered on Saturday to mourn the victims of the bombing under heavy guard. Islamabad accused India of involvement in the operation, while New Delhi denied this, amid fears of the escalation of extremism, in the context of a dispute between the two parties over targeting the Shiite minority and concern about the return of violence to major cities in Pakistan.

Published on: 02/07/2026 - 11:34 Last updated: 02/07/2026 - 11:59

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The "Islamic State" organization claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that targeted a mosque in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, on Friday, killing at least 31 people and wounding 169 others, according to the SITE website, which specializes in monitoring jihadist news.

The website quoted a statement by the organization as saying that the attacker, upon arriving at the inner gate of the mosque, detonated his “explosive belt in the middle of a gathering of Shiites, resulting in a large number of deaths and injuries.”

Thousands of mourners gathered in Islamabad on Saturday to mourn the victims of the suicide bombing, at the Khadija al-Kubra Mosque and Husseiniya complex on the outskirts of the Pakistani capital. Residents expressed concern about the possibility of more attacks.

Double attack

A man opened fire in the mosque complex on Friday, then detonated a bomb, killing 31 people in addition to himself, and wounding more than 170 people. The "Islamic State" organization claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement on Telegram.

Funeral prayers were held for some of the dead in a square near the mosque on Saturday, under heavy guard, as the police and a unit of special forces guarded the place.

Read also: Pakistan: Dozens killed and wounded in a suicide attack targeting a Shiite mosque in Islamabad

It is rare for bombings to occur in the heavily fortified capital, but this is the second attack of its kind in three months, and given the rise in extremism, there are fears of a return of violence to major cities in Pakistan.

Pakistani accusations against India

Information Minister Atallah Tarar said that the government is “looking for those who facilitated and managed” the attack, adding that some of the injured are still in critical condition in hospital and are receiving “the best possible health care.”

Defense Minister Khawaja Asif wrote on the X platform that the suicide bomber had a history of traveling to Afghanistan and blamed neighboring India for sponsoring the attack, without providing evidence.

The Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the attack and rejected accusations of New Delhi’s involvement in it, and stated in a statement, “It is unfortunate that, instead of dealing seriously with the problems that harm the fabric of society, Pakistan chooses to delude itself by blaming others for its internal problems.”

Targeting the Shiite minority in Pakistan

Shiites, who represent a minority in Pakistan, which has a Sunni majority of 241 million people, have been targeted by sectarian violence in the past, including by the "Islamic State" group and the extremist Pakistani Taliban.

France 24/AFP/Reuters

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