ISLAMABAD: The Interior Minister of Pakistan Mohsen Naqvi, has announced the arrest of four individuals suspected of involvement in a suicide bombing at a mosque in Islamabad, which left over 30 people dead and more than 160 injured. He stated that among those detained is an Afghan citizen identified as the “mastermind” behind the attack. According to officials, during the arrest operation, one counter-terrorism officer was killed and three others were injured. The ISIS group has claimed responsibility for the bombing, which targeted a Shia mosque in the Tarlai area of Islamabad during Friday prayers, marking it as the deadliest explosion in Pakistan’s capital in over a decade. In the aftermath of the incident, funeral ceremonies for the victims were held under tight security measures, with military and police forces deployed throughout the city. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack, while President Asif Ali Zardari described targeting civilians as a “crime against humanity.” Simultaneously, Pakistan’s Interior Minister accused India of funding those responsible for the attack, a claim denied by New Delhi. The Taliban in Afghanistan have also dismissed assertions of any involvement by Afghanistan in this incident as “baseless.” Pakistani officials have reported an increase in security measures in Islamabad.
