Dozens killed in bombing at Islamabad mosque

A massive bomb has ripped through a Shiite mosque on the outskirts of Pakistan’s capital during Friday prayers, killing 31 people and wounding at least 169 others.

Islamabad police said an investigation is under way into the attack at the sprawling mosque, as rescuers and witnesses said some of the wounded are in a critical condition.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the explosion but suspicion is likely to fall on militants such as the Pakistani Taliban or the Islamic State group, which has been blamed for previous attacks on Shiite worshippers, a minority in the country.

Militants often target security forces and civilians across Pakistan.

Though attacks are not so frequent in Islamabad, Pakistan has seen a surge in militant violence in recent months, largely blamed on Baloch separatist groups and the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, which is a separate group, but allied with Afghanistan’s Taliban.

A regional affiliate of the Islamic State group has also been active in the country.

Shortly after the explosion was first reported with a lower number of casualties, Islamabad deputy commissioner Irfan Memon gave the latest, much higher casualty tolls.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack in separate statements and extended condolences to the families of those killed. They instructed that all possible medical assistance be provided for those wounded.

“Targeting innocent civilians is a crime against humanity,” Mr Zardari said. “The nation stands with the affected families in this difficult time.”

Mr Sharif said he has ordered a full investigation. “Those who are responsible must be identified and punished,” he said.

Pakistan’s interior minister Mohsin Naqvi also condemned the attack, and asked authorities to ensure the provision of the best medical care to the wounded.

Friday’s attack occurred as Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who is on an official two-day visit, was attending an event with Mr Sharif. The event in Islamabad was several miles away from the site of the explosion.

The previous deadliest attack in Islamabad was in 2008, when a suicide bombing targeted the Marriott Hotel in the capital, killing 63 people and wounding over 250 others. In November, a suicide bomber had struck outside a court in Islamabad, killing 12 people.

The latest attack comes nearly a week after the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army carried out multiple attacks in insurgency-hit south-western Balochistan province, killing about 50 people.

Security forces responding to those attacks also killed more than 200 “terrorists”, according to the military.