Overview
- At least 31 people were killed and about 169 wounded when a suicide bomber targeted the Khadija Tul Kubra imambargah during Friday prayers on Islamabad’s outskirts.
- The regional Islamic State branch said the attacker shot at guards and then detonated an explosive vest at the mosque’s inner gate, claiming the strike via Amaq/Telegram.
- Police carried out raids in Peshawar and Nowshera, detaining at least four suspects including an alleged mastermind and some relatives of the bomber, with one police officer killed in the operations.
- Officials said the bomber had recently traveled to Afghanistan, and Pakistan is investigating potential cross-border facilitation as India rejected blame and Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities criticized the accusations.
- Thousands attended funerals under tight security as checkpoints were expanded across the city and investigators conducted forensic work in a case linked to a broader resurgence of militant violence.