KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – At least 24 people were killed and 101 others injured when an explosion struck a mosque during Friday prayers in Islamabad, Pakistan, local media reported.
The blast occurred at the Tarlai Imambargah, also known as Khadijatul Kubra mosque, a Shia place of worship in the Shehzad Town area of the capital, according to Dawn news agency, citing police officials.
Rescue teams rushed to the scene, and the injured were transported to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and other nearby hospitals.
The cause of the explosion, whether a suicide bombing or an improvised device, remained unclear pending investigation, authorities said.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
The incident follows a suicide bombing outside a district court in Islamabad’s G-11 area on November 11, 2025, which killed 12 people and injured more than 30. That attack was later claimed by the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Pakistan has seen a surge in militant violence in recent years, with groups such as the TTP and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), intensifying attacks, primarily targeting security forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces bordering Afghanistan.
Last week, multiple attacks in Balochistan by the BLA killed at least 36 civilians, including women and children, and 22 security personnel, according to the Pakistani military. Military operations in the region reportedly killed at least 216 militants over several days.
Islamabad has repeatedly accused Afghan Taliban authorities of providing shelter to the TTP, BLA, and other militant groups, enabling cross-border attacks. Kabul denies the allegations, saying no such groups operate from Afghan territory and that Pakistan’s security is its internal responsibility.
