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Explosion at Mosque in Islamabad

Mosque Bombing in Islamabad Triggers Security Alert

SITUATION SUMMARY | Intelligence cut off: 15:00 GMT 06 FEBRUARY 2026

During Friday prayers on 6 February, at approximately 13:30 Pakistan Standard Time, a bomb exploded at the Shiite Khadijatul Kubra Mosque in the Tarlai Kalan area on the outskirts of Islamabad. The blast killed at least 31 people and wounded 169 others. Some of the wounded are in critical condition, and the death toll is highly likely to rise. Police and eyewitness accounts confirm that the attack was a suicide bombing.

The defence minister stated that security guards had challenged the attacker when he was trying to enter, and he opened fire in response. The attacker then “blew himself up, standing in the last row of worshippers.” According to a witness statement, one other attacker was present but fled before the detonation.

Authorities have cordoned off the area and have launched an investigation into the attack. President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack and declared that all possible medical assistance would be provided for the wounded. 25 ambulances have been sent to Islamabad from the bordering Punjab region to assist. An emergency has been declared across major hospitals in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has alluded that Afghanistan and India were responsible for the attack, declaring on X that “it has been proved the terrorist involved in the attack travelled to and from Afghanistan. The collusion between India and Afghanistan is being revealed.”

INTELLIGENCE ANALYSIS

Islamabad Attack Likely Linked to TTP or ISKP Militant Networks

Multiple militant groups operate in Pakistan, but the attack was highly likely conducted by either the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) or Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP).

The TTP has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks in Pakistan’s major cities, including a 2014 attack on Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, a 2017 suicide bombing in Lahore, and a 2023 attack on a police headquarters in Karachi. The TTP has previously targeted Islamabad, attempting a suicide bombing in Islamabad’s government district in December 2022. In August 2025, Pakistan’s intelligence agency announced that it foiled a planned TTP suicide car bombing. In November 2025, the TTP detonated a bomb outside Islamabad’s District Judicial Court complex.

ISKP has also claimed responsibility for numerous attacks in the country. Person-borne improvised explosive devices (PBIEDs) are often used by the group; however, most of ISKP’s attacks in Pakistan have taken place in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and the group is not thought to have conducted any attacks in Islamabad in recent years.

Both the TTP and ISKP have conducted attacks against Shia Muslims in Pakistan before. Moreover, both militant groups have absorbed fighters from Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), a now-dissolved militant group with a long history of anti-Shia violence.

The attack comes amid heightened tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Islamabad has frequently accused the Afghan Taliban-led government of allowing militant safe havens across the border, from which attacks are launched into Pakistan. Recent tensions escalated into airstrikes conducted by Pakistan on TTP targets in Kabul on 15 October 2025, following TTP raids on Pakistani military posts along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border that killed 11 on 11 October.

There is a realistic possibility that Pakistan will conduct further cross-border strikes into Afghanistan targeting militant hideouts. Additionally, Islamabad may suspend ongoing diplomatic engagement, fully close partially open border crossings, and/or impose further travel restrictions on Afghan nationals.

A heightened security presence across major cities in Pakistan is highly likely, with increased security checkpoints, road closures, and military deployments. Heightened security will likely lead to increased travel disruptions in the short term, particularly around major hospitals. Intensified security operations in the border regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and/or Balochistan are also likely.

Given that the attack targeted Shia Muslims, the terror attack is likely to inflame sectarian tensions. Shias make up approximately 10 to 15 per cent of Pakistan’s population and have been targeted in numerous acts of terrorism in recent years, including the 2019 Quetta market bombing. Shia political and religious leaders are highly likely to call for stronger security measures, and there is a realistic possibility of protests from Shia groups.

Travel and Safety Guidance for Islamabad, Pakistan

Closely monitor local news reports and government alerts.
Adhere to all instructions issued by authorities.
Avoid travel to Tarlai Kalan in Islamabad.
Delays and increased traffic are likely to persist in Islamabad. Allocate additional time for all road movements in Islamabad.
Avoid all travel to the vicinity of government offices, diplomatic and military facilities, and police stations in Pakistan.
Heed any evacuation orders and travel to government-issued meeting points if ordered to do so.
Ensure you are carrying the necessary documents.
Prepare an emergency ‘go bag’ with essentials such as bottled water, batteries, important documents, and medications.
Consider alternative working arrangements (i.e. remote work) if possible.

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