A thunderous detonation shattered serenity at an Imam Bargah in Islamabad’s Tarlai area on Friday, igniting panic and a frenzied response from authorities. The Shia mosque in Shahzad Town became ground zero for what appears to be a targeted terror strike, with unconfirmed reports of several dead and wounded.
Eyewitness accounts paint a harrowing picture: a massive fireball engulfed the prayer hall, scattering debris far and wide. Elite security contingents sealed the blast radius, launching daring rescue missions under the cover of armored vehicles. Ambulances ferried the injured nonstop, while sniffer dogs scoured for explosives.
City hospitals braced for catastrophe. PIMS, under executive orders, lit up its emergency theaters – orthopedics, burns, neurology – all on standby. A media house quoting administration sources pegged initial casualties at 10 admitted to PIMS, with more en route to Polyclinic and CDA facilities. The lockdown persists, prioritizing safety and sleuthing.
Contextually chilling, this mirrors the November 11, 2025, suicide attack at G-11’s district court, fatal for 12 and injurious to 30+. It undercuts ISPR’s triumphant narrative from Thursday: 216 militants eliminated in clearance ops. Such proximity in time suggests coordinated defiance against state might.
In the aftermath, Islamabad pulses with tension. Voices from the Shia community demand protection for holy sites, while experts dissect intelligence lapses. As teams sift through wreckage for answers, this blast underscores terrorism’s grip on Pakistan’s core, challenging vows of eradication and fueling calls for robust countermeasures.