IS claims responsibility for Islamabad mosque blast that killed at least 31
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "IS claims responsibility for Islamabad mosque blast that killed at least 31")
Police stand guard at the scene a day after the suicide bombing of a Shiite mosque in Islamabad on February 7, 2026. Photograph: (AFP)
The explosion occurred during Friday prayers at Imam Bargah Qasr-e-Khadijatul Kubra mosque in the Tarlai area on the city’s outskirts.
The Islamic State group (IS) has claimed responsibility for a suicide blast at a Shiite mosque in Islamabad that claimed at least 31 lives and injured more than 169 on Friday (Feb 6). The attack was the deadliest in the Pakistani capital since the 2008 Marriott hotel bombing. The explosion occurred during Friday prayers at Imam Bargah Qasr-e-Khadijatul Kubra mosque in the Tarlai area on the city’s outskirts.
According to the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors jihadist communications, IS said that one of its militants had targeted the congregation, detonating an explosive vest and “inflicting a large number of deaths and injuries.”
The blast happened at the time of Friday prayers, when the mosque was packed with worshippers. “The attacker was stopped at the gate and detonated himself,” AFP reported citing a security source.
A worshipper described the attack as an “extremely powerful” explosion that ripped through the building as prayers were just starting. “During the first bow of the Namaz (prayer ritual), we heard gunfire,” Muhammad Kazim told AFP.
“And while we were still in the bowing position, an explosion occurred,” the 52-year-old added.
Another worshipper, Imran Mahmood, said that there was a gunfight between the bomber, a possible accomplice and security personnel at the mosque.
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“The suicide attacker was trying to move forward, but one of our injured volunteers fired at him from behind, hitting him in the thigh,” he told AFP. He then “detonated the explosives.”
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif earlier blamed India and Afghanistan for the blast in a post on social media. “It has been proved the terrorist involved in the attack travelled to and from Afghanistan. The collusion between India and Afghanistan is being revealed,” Asif wrote on X.
In response, India's Ministry of External Affairs said that Pakistan should rather focus on addressing the problems plaguing its social fabric, Islamabad is “blaming others for its home-grown ills”.
Kabul has also rejected Pakistan’s claims, calling the allegations premature and unsupported by evidence, Khaama Press News Agency reported on Friday.
