ISLAMABAD — A suicide bomber detonated explosives outside a Shia mosque in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad during Friday prayers on February 6, resulting in at least 31 deaths and 169 injuries, according to officials.
The blast occurred at the Khadijatul Kubra mosque-cum-imambargah in the Tarlai area. The explosion was audible from a considerable distance, police said in a statement.
Friday prayers had just started when the sound of bullets being fired was heard, a worshipper who was also injured in the incident said.
According to Police and eye witnesses, the suicide bomber was halted at the imambargah’s gate before he triggered the device, as reported by authorities and eyewitnesses.
People shift an injured man onto a stretcher following an explosion at a mosque in Islamabad on February 6, 2026. — Aamir Qureshi/AFP
A district administration spokesperson confirmed the updated casualty figures of 31 killed and 169 injured in a post on X.
The incident coincided with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s two-day state visit to Pakistan, which began on Thursday.
Television footage depicted several bodies on the ground amid broken glass and rubble. Rescue efforts involved police and Rescue 1122 teams. Hospitals in the capital declared an emergency to manage the influx of injured individuals.
Army personnel and Rangers have secured the area, with security operations continuing in the vicinity.
No organisation has claimed responsibility for the incident so far. However, police sources indicated that the attacker was a foreign national with connections to Fitna al Khwaraji, a designation for Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas denounced the bombing. “Targeting innocent civilians is a crime against humanity,” Zardari said.
Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry condemned the attack on social media platform X, expressing sorrow over the fatalities in the “cowardly act”.
“Such acts of terrorism cannot dampen the morale of the nation. The need of the hour is that we all stand united for peace, tolerance, and stability, and express solidarity with law enforcement agencies,” the minister stressed.
