At least 31 people have been killed and scores wounded in a suicide bombing at a mosque in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, during Friday prayers, prompting widespread international condemnation.
Pakistani authorities said the attacker struck as worshippers gathered, injuring more than 170 people.
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif alleged involvement by India and Afghanistan, claims that were swiftly rejected by both countries.
Kabul and New Delhi also condemned the attack and offered condolences to the victims and their families.
Regional leaders were among the first to respond. Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev conveyed condolences to Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, according to official statements.
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar also spoke by phone. Bayramov conveyed condolences on behalf of Azerbaijan’s president, government and people, and expressed solidarity with Pakistan.
Dar condemned the attack and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to combating terrorism.
Russian President Vladimir Putin described the bombing as “barbaric”, extending condolences to Pakistan’s leadership and the families of the victims. He said Russia was ready to support Pakistan in counterterrorism efforts, according to the Kremlin.
China’s embassy in Islamabad said Beijing stood “firmly with our Pakistani brothers and sisters in this difficult time”, expressing condolences in a message on the U.S. social media platform X.
Türkiye’s foreign ministry condemned the attack and expressed solidarity with Pakistan in its fight against terrorism, in a statement posted on Turkish social media platform NSosyal.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baqaei said preventing and combating terrorism required “the cooperation and coordination of all countries in the region”, alongside sustained efforts to confront its perpetrators, organisers, supporters and financial backers.
Saudi Arabia and Qatar also condemned the bombing, with their foreign ministries voicing firm opposition to violence against places of worship in separate messages on X.
Somalia’s foreign ministry similarly condemned “violence against civilians and places of worship”.
The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack in the “strongest terms”, saying assaults on civilians and religious sites were “unacceptable”, according to his spokesperson.
European leaders and diplomats also reacted. The French embassy in Pakistan said, “We stand with Pakistan in opposing all forms of terrorism”. German Ambassador to Pakistan Ina Lepel said she hoped those responsible would be found and “brought to justice”, adding, “We mourn the loss of life”.
UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said Britain “stands with Pakistan in the fight against terrorism and in support of all communities affected by such senseless violence”.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he was “horrified” by the attack and that Canadians were keeping the people of Pakistan, the victims, the wounded and their loved ones “in our thoughts today”.
Australian High Commissioner to Pakistan Timothy Kane said Australia stood with Pakistan during the difficult time and mourned alongside the country.
The U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Natalie A. Baker said the people of Pakistan “deserve safety, dignity, and the ability to practise their faith without fear”, adding that Washington remained committed to supporting Pakistan’s efforts to advance peace, security and regional stability.
Russia views NATO’s growing military activity in the Arctic as a direct threat to its national security, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said....
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has ordered the introduction of the death penalty for people convicted ...
Yemeni government-aligned forces said they had intercepted a shipment of drone components allegedly being trans...
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused U.S. government and Israel-aligned actors of manipulating energy markets to promote the war with Iran.
Iran has reached an understanding with Oman on transit arrangements through the Strait of Hormuz, but the waterway will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils its commitments, a senior Iranian diplomat said on Saturday.
Russian strikes on the Kyiv region overnight killed 37 people, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said. Zelenskyy added that the Ukrainian capital was under "virtually nonstop attack" from drones.
At least 37 people were killed after a Russian drone strike hit an ammunition depot in the Kyiv region, triggering powerful secondary explosions President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday, vowing to punish suspected negligence in the second such incident in two months.
Icelanders will vote on Saturday, 29 August, on whether to resume negotiations with the European Union, in a referendum that could reopen the country’s long-debated membership question.
Russia views NATO’s growing military activity in the Arctic as a direct threat to its national security, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has ordered the introduction of the death penalty for people convicted of deliberately setting forest fires, following wildfires that recently killed 12 people across the country.
Yemeni government-aligned forces said they had intercepted a shipment of drone components allegedly being transported to the Houthi movement, in what officials described as an effort to disrupt supply routes across the Red Sea.
As leaders from across Eurasia gather in Kyrgyzstan for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, the meeting is bringing together countries with very different interests, from China and Russia to India, Iran and Azerbaijan.
The death toll from last week's catastrophic floods in Nepal and Tibet rose to 750 on Sunday, with 3,044 people still missing, as fresh rainfall pushed up river levels and forced rescuers to move to higher ground.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment