A suicide bomber killed dozens of people and injured more than 160 others during Friday prayers at a Shiite mosque in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, authorities said.
The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack in two posts on its Telegram channel, including the name and photo of the alleged bomber. CNN could not immediately confirm the images.
Islamabad police said the death toll stood at 32 as of Saturday afternoon.
IS said the gunman shot dead a security guard who tried to stop him before detonating his explosive vest. “There is more to come,” the group warned in a statement.
It was the country’s deadliest attack since January 2023, when an explosion at a mosque in the northwestern city of Peshawar killed more than 100 people.
“We had just started praying when we heard gunshots followed by a powerful explosion,” Syed Amir Hussein Shah, 47, a worshiper at the mosque, told CNN.
“I was also injured. At that time, the mosque hall was full with more than 400 worshipers.”
Pakistan has seen a growing wave of extremism in recent years, but attacks have become less frequent in the heavily guarded capital. A bombing in Islamabad in November killed 12 people, making it the deadliest suicide attack to rock the city in nearly 20 years.
Footage from the aftermath of the attack showed a bloody body lying on the floor of the mosque surrounded by broken glass and rubble.
“It was a horrible scene in my life that I could never have imagined,” Shoaib, 24, told CNN from Islamabad PIMS Hospital, where he was visiting his injured cousin.
“During Friday’s prayer service, I heard the sound of a single fire, and a few seconds later I heard a loud, deafening explosion,” he said. “While everyone ran outside, some worshipers began transporting the injured to the hospital. My young cousin was injured in his right leg.”
The US Embassy in Islamabad condemned the attack. “Acts of terrorism and violence against civilians and places of worship are unacceptable,” he said, adding, “Pakistanis have the right to security, dignity and the ability to practice their faith without fear.”
Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari said targeting innocent civilians was a “crime against humanity” and said the entire country stood “shoulder to shoulder with the affected families,” the Associated Press reported.
Neighboring Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry also condemned the attack. “The Islamic Emirate considers attacks that violate the sanctity of mosques and sacred religious ceremonies and target worshipers and civilians to be contrary to Islamic and humanitarian values,” it said.
CNN’s Sophie Tanno contributed reporting. This article has been updated with Islamic State’s claim of responsibility and new death toll.
