Dozens were killed and wounded in a suicide attack targeting a Shiite mosque in Islamabad on Friday, according to security sources. The attack occurred in the mosque during Friday prayers, while two police officials said that the attacker was stopped at the mosque gate before blowing himself up.

Published on: 02/06/2026 - 12:41 Last updated: 02/06/2026 - 13:00

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A security source said that the bloody explosion that targeted a Shiite mosque in Islamabad on Friday was caused by a suicide attack, killing at least 31 people and wounding more than 130.

The source, who requested to remain anonymous, said, "The attacker was stopped at the gate and blew himself up."

A senior police official said that the attack occurred shortly after Friday prayers.

The official, who requested to remain anonymous, expected that "the toll will rise further."

Agence France-Presse correspondents at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences Hospital saw a number of women and children being transferred to the facility. Paramedics and people helped transport the bloodied victims from ambulances and other vehicles.

The cries of friends and relatives of the wounded rose louder as they arrived at the hospital's emergency department, where strict security measures were imposed.

Another team of AFP journalists saw armed security personnel outside the mosque, where large spots of blood appeared.

Video recordings that spread on social media networks and were not immediately verified showed bodies lying near the front gate of the mosque, while others, in addition to rubble and rubble, were scattered in the prayer hall.

Pictures from the site of the explosion showed blood-stained bodies on the floor of the mosque surrounded by glass shards and debris, amid a state of panic among worshipers.

Dozens of other wounded were lying in the outer garden of the mosque while people were crying out for help. Bombings are rare in the capital, which is subject to tight security measures, although Pakistan has witnessed a rising wave of armed violence over the past few years.

Shahbaz Sharif condemns the attack

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack, pledging to find the perpetrators and bring them to justice.

No party has yet claimed responsibility for the bombing, which comes at a time when Pakistani security forces are facing increasingly severe insurgency movements in the southern and northern regions of the country neighboring Afghanistan.

Shiites constitute between 10 and 15 percent of the population of Sunni-majority Pakistan, and have been targeted for attacks in various parts of the past.

Read also: Pakistan: More than 120 people were killed as a result of attacks launched by separatists in Balochistan province

In the past, Islamabad accused armed separatist groups in Balochistan province (south), the Pakistani Taliban and other Islamic groups in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province (north) of using Afghan territory as a launching pad for attacks.

The Taliban government in Afghanistan has repeatedly denied Pakistani accusations.

However, relations between the two countries have deteriorated recently, while frequent confrontations take place between their forces at the border.

The last major attack in Islamabad occurred in November, which was also a suicide bombing outside a courthouse that killed 12 people and injured dozens. It was the first attack of its kind targeting the capital in about three years.

Pakistani forces are also facing pressure in Balochistan, where attacks claimed by separatists killed 36 civilians and 22 security personnel.

These attacks led to a series of counter-operations, during which the authorities say security forces killed about 200 militants.

France 24/AFP/Reuters

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