At least 31 people were killed and over 130 injured in a devastating suicide bombing at the Imam Bargah Qasr-e-Khadijatul Kubra mosque in Islamabad on Friday. The blast occurred during afternoon prayers, sending shockwaves of chaos through the packed worship hall.
Eyewitnesses describe the scene as "apocalyptic", with bloodied bodies strewn across the carpeted floor amidst shattered glass and debris. Panic-stricken worshippers are seen fleeing the area, while others lay motionless on the ground.
According to officials, the death toll was expected to rise further, but an initial assessment had confirmed 31 fatalities. The victims were rushed to nearby hospitals, including the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, where dozens were treated for their injuries.
A police source revealed that a suicide attacker was responsible for the blast, which they claimed detonated after being stopped at the mosque gate. "The attacker was stopped and detonated himself," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his deep condolences to those affected, but the attack has sparked fears that sectarian tensions may simmer just below the surface in the country.
Shiites, who are a minority in Pakistan, have faced repeated targeting by Sunni Islamist militant groups, including Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. The group has been designated as a terrorist organization for its violent attacks against minority communities.
Eyewitnesses describe the scene as "apocalyptic", with bloodied bodies strewn across the carpeted floor amidst shattered glass and debris. Panic-stricken worshippers are seen fleeing the area, while others lay motionless on the ground.
According to officials, the death toll was expected to rise further, but an initial assessment had confirmed 31 fatalities. The victims were rushed to nearby hospitals, including the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, where dozens were treated for their injuries.
A police source revealed that a suicide attacker was responsible for the blast, which they claimed detonated after being stopped at the mosque gate. "The attacker was stopped and detonated himself," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his deep condolences to those affected, but the attack has sparked fears that sectarian tensions may simmer just below the surface in the country.
Shiites, who are a minority in Pakistan, have faced repeated targeting by Sunni Islamist militant groups, including Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. The group has been designated as a terrorist organization for its violent attacks against minority communities.
u can imagine the fear & panic on those people's faces 
when they saw the attacker get stopped at the gate & then just blow himself up 
it's so sad that pakistan has to deal with this kinda thing all the time & innocent lives are lost in these attacks 
my heart goes out to the families of the victims & everyone affected by this 
my heart goes out to the families and loved ones of the victims, may they rest in peace 
this attack has to be condemned by everyone, we need to stand together against hate and violence 
. a blast like this is devastating on so many levels it's not just about the people who lost their lives but also the trauma that'll stay with those survivors forever 
. can't they just find peace?! 
31 people dead and over 130 injured and still the gov't is all like "oh no, let's just pretend everything's fine" 
meanwhile the sunni groups are just chillin' on their terrorist orgs, waiting for the next bombing to go off... anyhoo, prayers for the victims 
it's heartbreaking to see our world getting more violent by day... my heart goes out to all the families of the victims 
. I'm not sure what more can be done to prevent things like this from happening in the future, but it's clear that more needs to be done to address the underlying tensions between different groups.
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. It's just not fair that we're seeing more and more of these horrific attacks happening in Pakistan and other parts of the world 
. Let's take a moment to remember the victims and hold their families close to our hearts 
. I'm sure it had nothing to do with the mosque's security measures (or lack thereof) 
. And yeah, of course, sectarian tensions are on the rise in Pakistan... it's not like they're just a minor issue that can be swept under the rug 
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... I wish the government could do more to protect these places, like, seriously, what's being done?! 
this is so disturbing i just can't even imagine what it's like to be there when that happened... 31 people lost their lives and so many more hurt 
i'm all for peace and tolerance, and i believe we can achieve that if we all just try to understand each other's perspectives 
Ugh, another atrocity to deal with... Can't believe it had to happen here in Islamabad 
. It's like we're stuck in some kind of never-ending cycle of violence 
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. So much for security measures 
. And now we've got dozens more injured and the death toll is expected to rise... just great