Overview
- The blast struck during Friday prayers at the Khadija Al‑Kubra/Imam Bargah Qasr‑e‑Khadijatul Kubra in the Tarlai area, leaving about 169 people injured as hospitals declared emergencies.
- Police say the attacker was intercepted at the entrance, opened fire on guards, then detonated explosives among worshippers, and the site was sealed for rescue and evidence collection.
- Islamic State claimed responsibility via its Amaq channel, a statement reported by monitoring groups such as SITE and OxusWatch, with independent verification still pending.
- Tehreek‑e‑Taliban Pakistan denied involvement, and officials said the identified bomber had traveled to Afghanistan multiple times, a claim that remains under examination.
- President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack and ordered an investigation, with authorities calling this one of Islamabad’s deadliest assaults since the 2008 Marriott bombing.