Pakistani authorities arrested four suspects, including the alleged mastermind, after a suicide bombing at a Shiite mosque near Islamabad killed 31 and wounded 169. A regional Islamic State affiliate claimed responsibility, saying the attacker shot guards before detonating an explosive vest. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi alleged links to Afghanistan and financial backing from India, claims not yet verified. The attack prompted mass funerals, international condemnation, and renewed concerns about militants operating across the Afghan border.
31 Killed in Suicide Bombing at Shiite Mosque Near Islamabad; Four Suspects Arrested
Police commandos take position on a Shiite mosque, the site of Friday's suicide bombing, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. / Credit: Anjum Naveed / AP
Pakistani security forces said they arrested four suspects, including the alleged mastermind, after a suicide bombing at a Shiite mosque on the outskirts of Islamabad killed 31 people and wounded 169, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi announced Saturday.
The attack took place during Friday prayers. A regional Islamic State affiliate identifying itself as Islamic State in Pakistan claimed responsibility in a statement carried by Amaq News Agency. According to that claim, the attacker opened fire at security guards who tried to stop him at the mosque's main gate and then detonated an explosive vest after reaching the inner gate.
Mourners arrange the coffins of the victims of Friday's suicide bombing inside a Shiite mosque, during a funeral prayer, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. / Credit: Anjum Naveed / AP
Authorities said the suspected planner is an Afghan national with alleged links to Islamic State. Naqvi also accused the bomber of being trained in Afghanistan and claimed the operation received financial backing from India; those assertions were not immediately substantiated and drew no immediate response from New Delhi. Kabul denied allegations that Afghan territory is being used as a base for attacks against Pakistan.
Local accounts and photos from the scene showed children among the casualties. Zahir Hussain, who was arriving to attend prayers, told CBS News the blast threw him against his car and left the mosque scene devastated.
People mourn over coffins of their relatives, who were killed in Friday's suicide bombing inside a Shiite mosque, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. / Credit: Anjum Naveed / AP
"After that, for a while there was horrific silence, then what I saw in the mosque, I don't have words to explain it," Hussain said.
Funerals for roughly a dozen victims were held at the mosque, where more than 2,000 mourners — including Shiite community leaders and senior government officials — gathered. Additional funerals were planned in victims' hometowns.
The bombing was Islamabad's deadliest attack since the 2008 Marriott Hotel suicide bombing. Pakistan has seen a rise in militant violence in recent months, attributed by officials to groups including Baloch separatists and the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Islamic State and affiliated groups have targeted Pakistan's Shiite minority in previous attacks, seeking to inflame sectarian divisions.
The attack drew international condemnation from governments including the United States, Russia and the European Union. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked foreign leaders for their condolences and said international cooperation remains critical to Pakistan's counterterrorism efforts. Pakistan's defense minister warned that militants operating from Afghan soil could threaten the capital; Afghanistan's Taliban government rejected those claims and criticized the comments as irresponsible.
Investigations and follow-up operations were reported as security forces searched multiple locations. Officials said they were working to verify the suspects' roles, the full chain of command behind the attack, and the source of any external support.
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