Suicide Bomber Kills At Least 30, Injures Over 130 at Shia Shrine in Islamabad; Emergency Declared

A suicide attack at a mosque in Pakistan's capital city Islamabad killed at least 30 people and wounded more than 130 on Friday, a police source told AFP. 

At least 30 people were killed and more than 130 were injured when a suspected suicide bomber detonated explosives at a shrine in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Friday afternoon, according to Pakistani media and police reports. The explosion took place at the Tarlai Imambargah, a Shia place of worship in the Shehzad Town area of the capital, prompting authorities to declare a city-wide emergency and rush rescue teams to the site.

According to initial accounts, the attacker approached the shrine’s main gate in the afternoon hours and detonated the device before entering the main prayer hall. Pakistani media reported that alert security guards may have stopped the attacker from entering the crowded interior, possibly limiting the scale of casualties. Despite this, the blast caused significant damage to the entrance, shattered nearby windows and scattered debris across the surrounding road.

Following the explosion, local hospitals including the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and Polyclinic Hospital were placed on high alert to treat the injured. Ambulances were seen transporting victims from the scene, as medical staff prepared emergency wards, including burn and orthopaedic units, to receive the wounded.

Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif condemns Islamabad blast

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the blast and expressed "deep grief", a statement said.

The latest blast comes at a time of increasing security concerns in Pakistan’s capital, following a suicide attack in November 2025 outside a district and sessions court in Islamabad’s G-11 sector, which killed 12 people and wounded more than 30. Authorities have not immediately reported any claim of responsibility for the latest explosion, and investigations are ongoing amid growing public alarm over repeated attacks within Islamabad.

Eyewitnesses and residents shared scenes of chaos shortly after the explosion, with shocked worshippers and bystanders helping the injured and surveying the extensive damage. Islamabad police and rescue teams cordoned off the area, while forensic units and investigators began collecting evidence to establish a timeline and identity of the attacker.

Security analysts note that religious and public sites have been targeted in past attacks in Pakistan, indicating persistent threats from militant groups seeking to destabilise the nation through acts of terrorism. The recurrence of such incidents has intensified calls among citizens for enhanced protection of religious sites and more robust counterterrorism measures by government agencies.