At least 31 killed in Islamabad mosque blast

Powerful explosion rocks Shia mosque in Pakistani capital’s Tarlai Kalan area during Friday prayers.

People shift an injured man to a hospital following an explosion at a mosque in Islamabad on February 6, 2026 [Aamir Qureshi/AFP]

An apparent suicide attack at a Shia mosque in Islamabad has killed at least 31 people and wounded dozens more, in one of the worst such incidents to hit Pakistan’s capital.

The powerful explosion occurred at Khadija Tul Kubra mosque, in southeastern Islamabad’s Tarlai Kalan area, during Friday prayers.

A senior police official told Al Jazeera on condition of anonymity the explosion appeared to be a suicide attack but the conclusive cause is yet to be determined.

“Our team is present at the site and we’re in process of confirming the cause,” he said.

A security source told told AFP on condition of anonymity the attacker detonated himself after being stopped at the gate of the mosque.

In a statement, Islamabad administration said 169 people were transferred to hospital after rescue teams reached the site of the explosion.

Footage shared on social media and verified by Al Jazeera showed bloodied bodies laying on the floor of the mosque, surrounded by broken glass and debris.

In a statement, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his “deep grief” following the incident.

In November last year, a suicide bomber blew himself up at the entrance of the Islamabad District Judicial Complex, killing at least 12 people and wounding dozens.

In September 2008, a suicide bomber detonated a dump truck at Islamabad’s Marriott Hotel, killing at least 63 people and wounding more than 250.

Al Jazeera’s Abid Hussain contributed to this report.

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