Islamabad: At least seven people were killed and 18 wounded by a suicide bomber outside an imambargah on Friday, police said.
The attack took place after a large number of people had gathered for a religious event. “The suicide bomber wanted to enter the (mosque), but blew up at the entrance. He had come on a motorcycle. He went up to the entrance after parking his motorcycle,” a wounded security guard said from his hospital bed. Scores of people got injured in the attack, which took place outside the central imambargah located in Chitian Hattian area. The imambargah was severely damaged.
According to reports, the suicide bomber tried to enter the imambargah when a Mehfil-e-Milad (PBUH) was underway. The security personnel tried to intercept the bomber upon which he detonated himself, killing three to four people present on the spot. Reportedly, three people succumbed to the injuries later in the hospital. Those injured were sent to District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital. As many as 18 injured were in critical condition, and the death toll was likely to go up.
Emergency was imposed in the hospitals of Rawalpindi. More than 100 people were attending the congregation inside the imambargah when the explosion took place. According to police, the suicide bomber came on a bike and tried to break into the imambargah at around 9:20pm. His attempt to enter into the imambargah was foiled, so he detonated his device, a police spokesman said. The incident took place minutes after the area’s lights had went out due to load shedding.
Two police constables were on duty outside the imambargah, one of whom lost his life in the attack, which took place in a congested locality where several houses located nearby were damaged. No group had claimed responsibility for the attack till the filing of this report. Talking to Daily Times, Rawalpindi Regional Police Office (RPO) Akhtar Umer Hayat Lalika confirmed the death toll at seven and 18 critically injured. “So far, no outfit has claimed responsibility for the attack. Investigation is underway,” he said.
The initial probe suggests that the attack was suicidal, he further confirmed. Shia organisations have announced three-day mourning. The security personnel in Rawalpindi have been put on high alert and army troops are on standby to assist the law enforcement agencies to respond to any kind of situation, if needed, Lalika added. Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan ordered an inquiry into the incident and sought a detailed report. He ordered to beef up security of religious places located across twin cities.
“Such cowardly attacks cannot deter us in our resolve to eliminate terrorism. The military action would go on till the terrorists are completely eliminated from the face of the earth,” he reiterated. Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif also sought a detailed report into the incident. The attack took place at a time when the military has intensified its counterterrorism drive against the terrorists with the approval of parliament and the backing of federal government. Pakistan Army has announced that nine military courts would be set up in the four provinces – three each in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, two in Sindh and one in Balochistan.
The courts are set up for speedy trial of hardcore terrorists, especially those involved in heinous terrorist activities in the name of religion. President Mamnoon Hussain, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and leaders of all the mainstream political and religious parties condemned the attack. Prime Minister Nawaz deplored the loss of lives and asked the district administration to ensure relief to the injured. He expressed his government’s resolve to eradicate the menace of terrorism and extremism.
