by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
ISLAMABAD (Worthy News) – Pakistani Christians on Friday condemned a suicide bombing during weekly prayers at a Shiite mosque on the outskirts of Islamabad that killed at least 31 people and injured 169 others in what officials described as the deadliest attack on Pakistan’s capital in more than a decade.
Authorities said the attacker opened fire when confronted by mosque security guards before detonating explosives among worshippers gathered for Jumma, Islam’s weekly Friday congregational prayer, when mosques are typically filled with large numbers of worshippers.
“An attack on a place of worship is an attack on humanity, peace, and faith itself,” said Sardar Mushtaq Gill, founder of Christian advocacy group LEAD Ministries.
Gill told Worthy News that Christians who have themselves been targeted by Islamic extremists “stand in solidarity with our brethren and the families of the victims. Our prayers are with those who died, and we wish a speedy recovery for the injured.”
He added that LEAD Ministries calls “on the state to ensure justice, accountability, and stronger security at all places of worship. Pakistan belongs to all its citizens — let unity, tolerance, and interfaith harmony prevail.”
SUICIDE BOMBING DURING FRIDAY PRAYERS
The explosion struck the sprawling Khadija Al-Kubra mosque as worshippers gathered for the midday service. Television footage and social media images showed police and residents carrying wounded people to nearby hospitals, where several victims were reported in critical condition.
Witness Hussain Shah said he was praying in the courtyard when he heard a sudden explosion.
“I immediately thought that some big attack had happened,” he said, describing chaos inside the mosque, where wounded worshippers were screaming for help. He said he counted around 30 bodies inside, while the number of injured appeared significantly higher.
Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Irfan Memon later confirmed the updated casualty figures after earlier lower estimates.
MILITANT GROUPS SUSPECTED IN ISLAMABAD ATTACK
No group immediately claimed responsibility. Suspicion is likely to fall on militant organizations such as the Pakistani Taliban — Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) — or the Islamic State group’s regional affiliate, both of which have previously targeted Shiite worshippers, a minority in Pakistan.
Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif said preliminary findings suggested the attacker had traveled to and from Afghanistan. He confirmed that mosque security personnel attempted to intercept the suspect, who fired at them before detonating the device.
Pakistan has repeatedly accused Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities of harboring militants, an allegation Kabul denies. Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry condemned Friday’s bombing, calling it a violation of “the sanctity of sacred rituals and mosques.”
Pakistan has experienced a surge in militant violence in recent months. A recent security report said 2025 was the deadliest year in a decade, with combat deaths rising sharply amid attacks blamed on separatist groups in Balochistan and the TTP.
NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL CONDEMNATION
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the bombing and extended condolences to the victims’ families.
“Targeting innocent civilians is a crime against humanity,” Zardari said. Sharif vowed that those responsible would be identified and punished.
The attack also drew condemnation from the United States, the European Union, and several foreign embassies in Islamabad.
Friday’s bombing occurred while Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was on an official visit to Pakistan, attending an event with Sharif several miles from the blast site.
The previous deadliest attack in Islamabad occurred in 2008, when a suicide bombing at the Marriott Hotel killed 63 people and wounded more than 250. A suicide bomber also struck outside a court in November, killing 12 people.
The latest bloodshed underscores mounting security concerns in Pakistan’s capital as militant violence intensifies nationwide, including attacks that have also impacted minority Christians, who number roughly 2 to 3 million in Pakistan’s predominantly Muslim population of more than 240 million.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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