Attacker kills dozens of worshippers in Islamabad mosque

A suicide bomber killed at least 31 people and injured nearly 170 others during Friday prayers at a Shiite mosque in Islamabad. It is the deadliest attack of its kind in the Pakistani capital in more than a decade.

The explosion occurred at the entrance to the mosque on the outskirts of the city, where, according to police, the attacker was stopped before he could enter the crowd of worshippers. Islamabad is considered a heavily guarded city, and attacks are rare there.

According to analysts, the attack bears the hallmarks of Islamic State operations, which has repeatedly attacked the Shiite minority in predominantly Sunni Pakistan in the past. The attack took place at a time of heightened security measures, as the President of Uzbekistan was visiting the country.

Pakistani authorities strongly condemned the attack and promised to help the victims. The incident fits into a broader context of growing violence, as the country faces a wave of militant attacks, particularly in the provinces of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where the army has conducted extensive operations against insurgents in recent days.

(reuters, mja)