RAWALPINDI: At least 31 worshippers were martyred and 170 others injured in a suicide bombing at an Imambargah located in the suburban area of Islamabad during Friday prayers, according to police and security sources.
Police officials stated that the suicide bomber was stopped at the main gate of Imambargah Khadijah al-Kubra in the Tarlai area of the federal capital, when he detonated the explosive device he was carrying.
The blast caused several casualties among worshippers who were present for Friday prayers. Video clips circulating on social media showed dead bodies and injured people lying in the prayer hall of the worship place before arrival of ambulances
Islamabad Capital Territory Police said it was too soon to ascertain the nature of the blast. However, he indicated that the signs pointed to a suicide bomber.
Emergency declared in PIMS and other hospitals of federal capital. Citizens have been requested to donate blood for the injured.
Security sources claimed that the attacker was affiliated with Fitna Al-Khawarij, a banned extremist group. Law enforcement agencies and rescue teams immediately reached the site and launched a security operation, while the injured were shifted to nearby hospitals for emergency medical treatment.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the attack and expressed deep sorrow over the loss of innocent lives. He directed the Minister of Health to personally oversee medical arrangements and ensure the provision of the best possible treatment to the injured.
The Prime Minister also ordered a thorough investigation into the incident and instructed authorities to identify and bring the perpetrators to justice at the earliest.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi later met the Prime Minister and briefed him on the incident, reaffirming the government’s commitment to taking strict action against those responsible.
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