Pakistan points to Indian-backed Afghan proxy in deadly attack, raising fresh concerns over India’s cross-border terrorism
By Asghar Ali Mubarak/Syed Tauqeer Zaidi
ISLAMABAD: At least 31 people were killed and 169 others injured when a suicide bomber detonated himself inside an imambargah during Friday prayers in Islamabad’s Tarlai area, officials confirmed. The explosion occurred at Imambargah Khadijah al-Kubra.
Eyewitnesses told Daily Metro Morning that the bomber was stopped at the mosque’s entrance. They said the attackers opened fire before the explosion. The eyewitnesses said the main door is at least 30 metres from the imambargah’s gate. Guards tried to stop the attacker, leading to an exchange of fire. “He then ran about 20 metres inside and, as prayers were underway, blew himself up,” they said.
Rescue teams rushed to the scene, transferring the dead and injured to nearby hospitals. Law enforcement agencies, including Pakistan Army troops and Rangers, cordoned off the area and launched an investigation. Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon said an emergency had been declared at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Polyclinic Hospital, and the Capital Development Authority (CDA) hospital.
PIMS officials said at least 18 bodies were brought in, alongside more than 78 injured. Authorities at Rawalpindi’s Benazir Bhutto Hospital said four injured were admitted, with one later dying during treatment. No group immediately claimed responsibility. Police sources suggested the attack was carried out by terrorists linked to “Fitna al-Khawarij.”
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif indicated involvement from India and Afghanistan in the attack. He said preliminary investigations confirmed the bomber had travelled to Afghanistan multiple times. “After suffering a humiliating defeat last May, India is now waging war through proxies, as it no longer has the courage to fight directly,” he said, adding that the state would respond with full force.
Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry confirmed the suicide bomber’s identity. “He was not an Afghan national but had visited Afghanistan multiple times,” he said. The minister added that terrorists were targeting soft targets. Among the dead was the IG Islamabad’s cousin. Police sources said the bomber, identified through the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), was a 32-year-old from Peshawar.
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