An affiliate of the Islamic State group said overnight it was behind a deadly suicide bombing at a Shiite mosque on the outskirts of Pakistan’s capital, which killed 31 people and injured 169 others. On Saturday, mourners gathered at the same mosque under heavy security to attend funeral prayers for the victims.
The regional affiliate of the Islamic State, identifying itself as Islamic State in Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement released through its Amaq News Agency. According to the group, the bomber opened fire on security personnel who attempted to stop him at the main entrance before detonating his explosive vest near the mosque’s inner gate.
The group described Pakistan’s Shiite population as a legitimate target, using inflammatory language to justify attacks by alleging they support Shiite militias fighting Islamic State in Syria.
Friday’s bombing marked the deadliest attack in Islamabad since the 2008 suicide blast at the Marriott Hotel that killed 63 people. In November, another suicide attack outside a court in the capital left 12 people dead.
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The assault comes amid a surge in militant violence across Pakistan that has posed a major challenge for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government. Authorities said the attacker was a Pakistani national who had recently traveled to Afghanistan. Several relatives, including his brother and mother, were arrested during overnight raids in Islamabad and northwestern Pakistan, during which a police officer was killed.
More than 2,000 mourners attended funeral prayers at the mosque, joined by senior officials and Shiite community leaders. Other victims were buried in their hometowns.
The attack drew condemnation from Afghanistan’s Taliban government and the international community, including the United States, Russia and the European Union. Prime Minister Sharif thanked countries worldwide for their support and vowed those responsible would be brought to justice.