Suicide blast at Islamabad's Imambargah during Friday prayers kills 31, injures 169

At least 31 people were killed, and 169 were injured after a suicide bombing struck a Shia imambargah in Islamabad's Shehzad Town area during Friday prayers, according to local media reports. The explosion occurred as worshippers had gathered for prayers at the Tarlai imambargah, with authorities identifying it as a suicide attack following an initial probe.

An imambargah is a congregation site where Shia Muslims gather, particularly to commemorate the Karbala tragedy. The blast triggered panic at the scene, with emergency teams, police, and rescue workers rushing in to assist victims and transport the injured to nearby hospitals.

"We have shifted several people to hospitals. I can't say how many are dead at this moment, but yes, people have died," a police official told Reuters.

Hospitals, including the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and the Polyclinic, declared emergency protocols to manage the influx of patients.

The attack took place during a two-day state visit by Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and shortly after clashes between Pakistani security forces and the Balochistan Liberation Army that had resulted in casualties on both sides.

This marks the second major blast in Islamabad within six months. In November, a suicide car bombing near the Islamabad district court complex killed at least 12 people and injured more than 25, creating widespread panic in the area.

Following that earlier incident, Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif had described the country as being in a "state of war". 

He further elaborated on the security situation in a social media post, "We are in a state of war. Anyone who thinks the Pakistan army is fighting this only in the Afghan-Pakistan border region or Balochistan should take the suicide attack at the Islamabad district courts as a wake-up call. This is a war for all of Pakistan, where the Army is making daily sacrifices to keep people secure."