Islamic State Claims Deadly Suicide Bombing at Islamabad Shia Mosque
The Islamic State (IS) has officially claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that struck a Shia mosque in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, pushing the confirmed death toll to 36 as of Saturday.
The attack unfolded during Friday prayers at the Khadijatul Kubra mosque (also referred to as Imam Bargah Qasr-e-Khadijatul Kubra) in the Tarlai area on the city’s outskirts. A suicide bomber detonated explosives inside the mosque compound after reportedly firing at security personnel who attempted to stop him at the entrance.
According to a PTI report cited in The Times of India, the casualty figure increased to 36 on Saturday when several victims who were critically injured succumbed to their wounds in hospital care. Numerous others were injured in the blast.
The claim was released through IS’s official propaganda arm, Amaq, which described the operation as a “Fidayeen” (suicide) attack carried out by a fighter from the group’s Islamic State in Pakistan Province (ISPP), an affiliate operational since 2019. Amaq identified the bomber as Saifullah Ansari and published a photograph of him pledging allegiance (bayah) to the organization. The statement further noted that hundreds of Pakistani Shias had joined the Iran-backed Zaynabiyoun brigade militia fighting in Syria.
Amaq asserted that the bombing caused more than 200 casualties, a number far exceeding the official Pakistani figures of 36 deaths and scores injured.
The IS claim followed a firm denial from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which rejected any role in the incident.
This marks the deadliest attack in Islamabad since the 2008 Marriott hotel bombing. It occurred during a state visit by Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Pakistan and has intensified worries about rising sectarian violence targeting religious minorities.
In a separate development highlighted by The Times of India, the latest edition of IS’s al-Naba newsletter urged members of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) to defect and join the Islamic State in Khorasan Province affiliate. Earlier this year, the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) claimed a blast in Bajaur district that killed a senior LeT commander.
The incident has drawn scrutiny from India’s security establishment and underscored ongoing challenges posed by militant groups in the region.