ISIS Claims Responsibility for Deadly Attack on Shia Mosque in Islamabad
At least 30 worshippers killed and more than 130 wounded after coordinated assault during Friday prayers at Imam Bargah Khadijat-ul-Kubra
Islamabad, Pakistan | PUREWILAYAH.COM — The terrorist gangs of ISIS have officially claimed responsibility for a deadly attack targeting a Shia mosque in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, in one of the bloodiest assaults on worshippers in recent years.
According to the caretaker of the Imam Bargah Khadijat-ul-Kubra mosque, three attackers stormed the site during Friday prayers, wounding a local security guard before detonating a powerful explosive that killed at least 30 people and injured more than 130 others.
Coordinated Assault During Friday Prayers
“I was at home near the Imam Bargah Mosque when I heard gunshots,” the mosque caretaker, Ishfaq, told Russia’s RIA Novosti.
“When I ran to the mosque, I found a local security guard lying on the ground, wounded. He said that three attackers had broken into the Imam Bargah.”
The explosion occurred while prayers were underway, causing mass casualties among worshippers inside the mosque. Several of the wounded were transferred to nearby hospitals as emergency services responded to the scene.
Pakistani authorities have launched an investigation into the nature of the blast. It was confirmed that the mosque was guarded by local security personnel rather than police forces at the time of the attack.
Eyewitness Accounts Raise Security Concerns
Eyewitness Sardar Suhail Hasan, who was attending Friday prayers at a nearby Sunni mosque, said security arrangements at the Imam Bargah were visibly inadequate.
“There were insufficient security measures, and no proper checks were carried out at the Imam Bargah and around the mosque,” he said.
“I believe what happened represents a serious failure by Islamabad police and the local administration, especially since no security forces were deployed at such a sensitive time.”
Targeting a Shia Place of Worship
The Imam Bargah Khadijat-ul-Kubra is a Shia place of worship. Early reports indicate that the death toll may rise as several victims remain in critical condition.
Commenting on the attack, political analyst Seyed Mohammad Marandi wrote on X that the bombing once again exposed the role of takfiri extremist groups in sectarian violence.
“At least 31 Shia Muslims have been killed in a suicide bombing at a mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan,” he wrote.
“Such attacks reveal again that Salafi and Wahhabi takfiris are tools of Zionism.”
The attack has renewed concerns over a continuing pattern of anti-Shia violence in Pakistan, with investigations ongoing into the operational networks behind the assault.
Hezbollah Condemns ‘Takfiri Terrorism’
Hezbollah strongly condemned the bombing, describing it as an act of “takfiri terrorism” carried out during Friday prayers at the Khadija al-Kubra Mosque.
In a statement, Hezbollah said the attack demonstrates that deviant takfiri ideology—driven by gangs of bloodthirsty killers who excommunicate anyone who disagrees with them—remains a dangerous tool used to spread sedition, corruption, and instability, and to undermine the security of nations and societies.
The resistance movement emphasized that such extremist ideology does not target one group alone, but strikes anyone who stands for truth against falsehood, regardless of religion, gender, or ethnicity.
Hezbollah called for comprehensive cooperation among Arab and Islamic states across security, educational, intellectual, cultural, and religious fields to eradicate this criminal ideology and eliminate its perpetrators from society.
The statement also extended condolences to the families of the martyrs, prayed for mercy upon the victims, and wished a swift recovery for the wounded, while calling for security and stability for the people of Pakistan.
Questions Over Security Preparedness
Caretaker Ishfaq stressed that the attackers were able to breach the mosque despite the presence of security guards, raising serious questions about preparedness and protection for places of worship.
Authorities continue to investigate the attack as Pakistan mourns one of the deadliest assaults on civilians in the capital in recent years. (PW)