ISIS claims responsibility for Pakistan mosque suicide bombing that killed 31

A suicide bombing took place at a mosque in Islamabad on Friday.

A suicide blast that killed at least 31 people and injured over 150 others at a Shiite mosque in Islamabad has been claimed by the Islamic State group.

City officials said 31 people died in the explosion at the Imam Bargah Qasr-e-Khadijatul Kubra mosque in the Tarlai area on the city's outskirts, with scores more being treated for injuries. The death toll was expected to rise further.

The Islamic State  has claimed responsibility for the deadly attack, according to its Telegram channel. In a statement cited by SITE, which monitors jihadist organisations, IS said, "upon reaching the inner gate of the temple, the martyrdom-seeker detonated his explosive vest amidst the Shi'a congregation, inflicting a large number of deaths and injuries."

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif vowed that those behind the blast would be found and brought to justice. The attack was the deadliest in the Pakistani capital since September 2008, when 60 people were killed in a suicide truck bomb blast that destroyed part of the five-star Marriott hotel.

Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar branded the attack "a heinous crime against humanity and a blatant violation of Islamic principles". "Pakistan stands united against terrorism in all its forms," he said in a post on X.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said "attacks against civilians and places of worship are unacceptable", according to his spokesman.