At least 31 people have been killed and 169 others injured in a deadly explosion at a mosque during Friday prayers in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, officials said.
Police reported that a suicide bomber detonated the device near the gates of the Shia mosque in the Tarlai area. Eyewitnesses told reporters that the blast was preceded by gunfire.
Hospitals in the city declared emergencies as they received the wounded, and authorities urgently appealed for blood donations to treat the injured.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, condemned the attack, expressing “deep grief” and calling for a thorough investigation to identify and bring those responsible to justice.
In a separate statement, President Asif Ali Zardari denounced the attack, describing the targeting of innocent civilians as “a crime against humanity.”
