Islamabad faced a deadly blow on Friday as a suicide bomber attacked the Khadija Tul Kubra Mosque, killing more than 30 people and injuring many during prayers. The mosque, located in the Tarlai Kalan area, is a Shia place of worship. Rescue teams rushed 169 injured people to hospitals. A splinter group of ISIL in Pakistan claimed the attack, sharing a photo of the bomber armed and masked on Telegram. Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said security guards tried to stop the attacker, who fired shots before detonating explosives. He alleged the bomber had traveled between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Key arrests, including the bomber’s close family members in Peshawar and Karachi, were made, but officials did not confirm their involvement. This is Islamabad’s second major attack since a court suicide blast in November. Analyst Abdul Sayed called it the deadliest act by ISIL’s Pakistan faction, ISPP, since 2019. ISPP is responsible for about 100 attacks, mostly in Balochistan. Pakistan saw 699 attacks in 2025, a 34% rise from the previous year, according to the Pak Institute of Peace Studies. Pakistan accuses the Afghan Taliban of sheltering militant groups attacking Pakistan. The Afghan Taliban denied this and condemned the mosque bombing. Recent deadly Afghanistan-Pakistan border clashes stemmed partly from these tensions. The UN reported links between the Afghan Taliban, Pakistan Taliban (TTP), Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), and ISIL affiliates, showing overlapping militant agendas. Pakistan recently killed 216 fighters in Balochistan after attacks by the BLA. Security experts say Pakistan will push for stricter action against militants based in and around Afghan territory. They warn terrorist attacks in urban centers may rise further. Experts stress the mosque bombing is a sectarian attack targeting the Shia minority, who make up over 20% of Pakistan’s 250 million people. Sectarian violence has been common, especially in Kurram district near Afghanistan. Security analyst Manzar Zaidi warns this attack differs from last year’s court blast and says Pakistan must watch tensions in Kurram, where Sunni and Shia communities live side by side. Fahad Nabeel from Geopolitical Insights says the investigation’s speed will affect how Pakistan responds and may help avoid wider sectarian conflict, though some low-level attacks may continue. Sayed added, “The role of these sectarian elements is an important factor in understanding such attacks. Such attacks appear significant in facilitating further recruitment of anti-Shia Sunni extremists within Pakistan.”