Pakistan: 200 people killed or injured in a terrorist attack linked to US- and Saudi-backed armed...

On Friday, Pakistan’s capital Islamabad witnessed a terrorist bombing targeting the Al-Khadija al-Kubra Mosque during Friday prayers, leaving at least 31 people dead and around 169 others wounded, in one of the deadliest attacks in the city in more than a decade.

The explosion occurred in the Tarlai area on the outskirts of Islamabad inside a crowded Shia mosque, resulting in scenes of destruction and chaos as the wounded were rushed to hospitals, with expectations that the death toll may rise.

So far, no group has officially claimed responsibility for the attack, but security sources point to possible involvement of armed groups such as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or Islamic State – Khorasan Province, both of which have previously targeted Shia communities.

This operation reflects the escalation of violence and extremism in Pakistan in recent months, following a series of attacks in different provinces amid ongoing conflict between armed groups and the state.

The bombing comes just days after popular demonstrations in Pakistan in support of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, at a time of rising regional tensions and increasing cross-border violence.

As investigations continue, Pakistani authorities and the international community have called for the perpetrators to be pursued and brought to justice, while Islamabad’s government has pledged to intensify security efforts to curb the growing wave of violence.