At Least 31 Killed, 169 Wounded in Suicide Blast at Islamabad Mosque
By Nasir Aijaz
The AsiaN Representative
ISLAMABAD: At least 31 people were martyred and 169 others injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up inside an imambargah (A worship place of Shia Sect) during Friday prayer in Islamabad’s Tarlai area, officials confirmed.
The explosion occurred at Imambargah Khadijah al-Kubra in Islamabad’s Tarlai area.
The suicide bomber detonated himself after being stopped at the entrance of the mosque, eyewitnesses told Geo News, adding that the terrorists first opened fired and then resorted to the bombing.
The eyewitnesses further said that the main door is at least 30 metres away from the imambargah’s gate, adding that when the terrorist reached the main gate, guards tried to stop him, following which an exchange of fire took place.
“He then ran inside at least 20 metres, and as the prayer was underway, he blew himself up,” the eyewitnesses told the media.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the suicide attack. However, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif sees footprints of India and Afghanistan behind the recent terrorist attack in the federal capital. He said the preliminary investigations confirmed the terrorist involved in the attack had travelled to Afghanistan multiple times.
Meanwhile addressing a press conference, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry said that the suicide bomber has been identified. “The suicide bomber was not an Afghan national but had visited Afghanistan multiple times,” he added.
The suicide bomber’s identity was confirmed through the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) record, said police sources. The suicide bomber hailed from Peshawar and was 32 years old,” the sources added.
