Islamabad, Feb. 6: At least 31 people were killed and 169 were injured after a suicide bomber detonated himself at the Khadijatul Kubra mosque-cum-imambargah in Islamabad’s Tarlai area during Friday prayers. Police said the attacker was stopped at the gate of the imambargah but exploded himself after opening fire, according to PTI reports. The powerful blast was heard from far away, with TV footage showing bodies, shattered glass and debris inside the mosque complex.

Police, Rescue 1122 personnel, army troops and Rangers launched rescue and security operations, cordoning off the area. An emergency was declared at hospitals across the capital, including PIMS, to treat the injured. Authorities said the explosion appeared to be a suicide attack and investigations are underway.

As per PTI reports, no group has claimed responsibility so far, though police sources said the attacker was a foreign national linked to Fitna al Khwaraji, a term used for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other leaders strongly condemned the attack, calling it a crime against humanity and an assault on places of worship. The attack comes less than three months after a suicide blast outside a court in Islamabad and coincided with the ongoing state visit of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.-Agencies