Death toll in Islamabad suicide bombing climbs to 36

Islamabad:The death toll from the Islamabad suicide bombing rose to 36 on Saturday, local media reported, quoting a spokesperson of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS).

“A 21-year-old man, who was brought from the imambargah, died,” said Dr Aneeza Jalil while speaking to a leading Pakistani daily, Dawn.

She further mentioned that nine of the injured are in “very serious” condition.

Jalil also stated that in total, 149 injured people and 28 bodies were brought to Pims on Friday following the attack.

Additionally, HBS Hospital’s Dr Riaz Janjua also confirmed that three deaths from the attack were reported at his hospital, according to the report by Dawn.

Meanwhile, authorities have identified the suspected attacker as a resident of Peshawar who allegedly underwent militant training in Afghanistan, local media reported on Saturday.

According to preliminary findings shared by sources associated with the investigation, the attacker, identified as Yasir Khan Yasir, had reportedly stayed in Afghanistan for nearly five months before returning to Pakistan, leading Pakistani daily The Express Tribune reported.

Investigators are also exploring potential connections between the suspect and the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), though officials have stressed that the investigation is still at a preliminary stage and no final conclusions have been drawn.

Sources indicated that Yasir Khan, who was reportedly influenced by the Salafi school of thought, is believed to have received militant training during his stay across the border.

“He received training at the Mansoor Istashhadi training centre in Afghanistan’s northeastern Kunar province and travelled to and from the country multiple times,” sources told The Express Tribune.

Authorities said they are working to unravel the broader network that may have facilitated the attack, including identifying possible handlers, logistical supporters and any domestic or cross-border links that could have enabled the operation.

Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry also confirmed that the identity of the suicide bomber had been established. He stated that the information was obtained through forensic analysis of his remains.

“He is not an Afghan citizen, but forensic examination of the remaining parts of his body has provided information about how many times he had travelled to Afghanistan,” he said.

The explosion at the Khadija Tul Kubra mosque, located in Islamabad’s Tarlai Kalan area, resulted in the death of at least 36 people and left nearly 170 others injured during Friday prayers, according to Pakistani officials.

Eyewitnesses recounted that gunfire was heard moments before the explosion, after which the suicide bomber detonated explosives amid a large congregation of worshippers gathered at the mosque.

Hospitals across the capital declared emergency protocols as rescue teams rushed the injured to medical facilities, with several victims reported to be in critical condition.

Pakistan was quick to point fingers at the external forces for the attack. However, innocent people of the rogue nation have time and time again borne the burden of homegrown terrorism.

IANS