| 2026 Islamabad mosque bombing | |
|---|---|
CCTV footage of the attack | |
| Location | 33°38′36″N73°9′13″E / 33.64333°N 73.15361°E /33.64333; 73.15361 Khadija Tul Kubra Mosque,Islamabad, Pakistan |
| Date | 6 February 2026 (2026-02-06) 1:38 p.m. (PKT,UTC+05:00) |
Attack type | |
| Weapons | Explosives, firearm[1] |
| Deaths | 32 (including the perpetrator) |
| Injured | 170+ |
| Perpetrator | Islamic State – Pakistan Province |
| Assailants | Yasir Khan[2][3] |
| Motive | Anti-Shi'ism |
On 6 February 2026, asuicide attack occurred at the Khadija Tul Kubra Mosque, aShia mosque in theTarlai Kalan [ur;pnb] area of southeasternIslamabad, Pakistan. The explosion occurred duringFriday prayer, killing 32 people and injuring 170 others.[4][5][6]
TheIslamic State militant group claimed responsibility for the attack. Pakistani leaders, including Prime MinisterShehbaz Sharif and Foreign MinisterIshaq Dar, condemned the bombing and vowed to hold perpetrators accountable.
Pakistan has experienced ongoingsectarian violence betweenSunni andShia Muslims.[1] Militant organisations, including theTehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) andIslamic State – Khorasan Province (ISKP), have claimed responsibility for similar attacks in the past, often during religious gatherings.[7]
The bombing occurred against a backdrop of heightened militant activity in Pakistan, includingrecent attacks in Balochistan and other provinces.[8] Islamabad, the capital, is typically considered secure due to extensive military and police presence, making such incidents uncommon.[9]
The explosion took place shortly after Friday prayer began at the Khadija Tul Kubra Mosque in Tarlai Kalan, a suburb on the outskirts of Islamabad.[8][1] CCTV footage of the explosion depicts it occurring at 1:38 p.m. local time.[10] Police reported that the suicide bomber was stopped at the mosque's entrance by security guards before opening fire[8] and detonating explosives inside or near the mosque, causing significant damage to the structure and scattering debris across the area.[9][7][11][12]
Witnesses reported chaos as worshippers fled the scene, with bloodied victims visible in the mosque's garden and surrounding areas.[9] Television footage showed rescue workers and security personnel cordoning off the site and transporting the injured to hospitals.[1] Police confirmed the blast was a deliberate attack and initiated an investigation, including forensic analysis of the site.[8]
32 people were killed and 170+ others were injured during the attack.[13] Many of the victims were worshippers attending the weekly congregational Friday prayer.[1][14] Hospitals in Islamabad, including thePakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, received the injured, some in critical condition.[9] The bombing was the deadliest since theIslamabad Marriott Hotel bombing in 2008, which killed 63 people.[15]
Pakistani leaders, including prime ministerShehbaz Sharif, condemned the attack and vowed to hold those responsible accountable.[16][17] Spokesperson for the prime ministerMosharraf Zaidi and defence ministerKhawaja Asif blamed India and Afghanistan for the attack.[18] Both governments rejected claims of involvement.[18]
TheIslamic State – Pakistan Province, a regional affiliate of theIslamic State, claimed responsibility for the attack onTelegram, releasing a photo purported to show the assailant holding a gun.[14][9] The group announced that it viewed Pakistani Shiites as legitimate targets.[15] Police sources indicated preliminary links to theTehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), even though TTP had not recently attacked any Shia place of worship. Other analyses suggested possible involvement by theIslamic State – Khorasan Province (ISKP), given the attack's hallmarks. Security forces increased patrols in Islamabad following the incident, with investigations ongoing as of 6 February 2026.[19][20][21]
The Federal Minister for Interior of Pakistan, Mohsin Naqvi, announced on 7 February 2026 that four suspects had been arrested including one "Afghan Daesh [ISIL or ISIS] mastermind."[22] Naqvi initially accused Indian authorities of funding the attack and supplying the attackers with target information; the Indian government rejected the accusations as baseless.[22] Authorities have since stated that the “planning, training, and indoctrination for the attack took place in Afghanistan”, and also that under “Afghan Taliban patronage, extremist groups continue to pose a serious threat to regional and global peace”.[13]
Fahad Nabeel, head of consultancy group Geopolitical Insights, believed the attack would perpetuate Pakistan's negative relations with Afghanistan. He also urged the government to pursue more action against urban militant networks. Local security analyst Manzar Zaidi noted the rarity of sectarian attacks in recent years, urging the government to monitor the situation inKurram to prevent the renewal of sectarian clashes. He also rejected equating the bombing to thedistrict court attack in Islamabad the previous year, noting the difference in sectarian and state targets respectively.[23]Quincy Institute regional analyst Adam Weinstein doubted that the bombing would hinder the Pakistani government's interest in promoting foreign investment opportunities, "but it might change whether a U.S. delegation is going to travel to Islamabad to hear their pitch."[24]