Islamabad Bombing: PM Announces Compensation, ISKP Claims Responsibility & Arrests Made

Islamabad Mosque Bombing: ISKP Claims Responsibility for Deadly Attack

A suicide bombing at a Shiite mosque on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan, on Friday, February 6, 2026, has left at least 31 people dead and 169 wounded, according to Pakistani officials and reports from Reuters and Al Jazeera. The Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), the regional affiliate of the Islamic State group, has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The attack occurred during Friday prayer services, when the mosque was reportedly packed with worshippers. Zahir Hussain, a local resident, described a scene of chaos and devastation, telling CBS News he was thrown against his car door by the force of the explosion. “After that, for a while there was horrific silence, then what I saw in the mosque, I don’t have words to explain it,” he said.

Pakistani security forces have arrested four suspects allegedly involved in the bombing, including the suspected mastermind, described by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi as an Afghan national with ties to ISKP. Naqvi also alleged that the attack was planned and the bomber trained in Afghanistan, with financial backing from India – claims for which he provided no immediate evidence, according to Al Jazeera. Neither New Delhi nor Kabul have yet commented on the allegations.

The bombing is the deadliest such incident in Islamabad since the 2008 attack on the Marriott Hotel, which killed 63 people and wounded over 250. In November 2025, a suicide bomber struck outside a court in the capital, killing 12 people.

ISKP has a history of claiming responsibility for attacks in Pakistan and Afghanistan. In 2022, the group claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing at a Shiite mosque in Peshawar, Pakistan, which killed at least 56 people and wounded 194, CBS News reported. The Diplomat reports that ISKP’s recent attacks may indicate a degree of desperation within the organization.

The Pakistani government has announced compensation for the families of those killed and injured in the attack, as reported by Radio Pakistan and Dawn. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has offered condolences to the victims and their families.

According to a Wikipedia entry on terrorist incidents linked to the Islamic State, the group, formerly known as the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI), has been active since 2006, initially fighting against the American-led occupation of Iraq. The group expanded into Syria in 2013 and has since claimed responsibility for or inspired over 140 terrorist attacks in 29 countries outside of Syria and Iraq. The Wikipedia entry notes that evidence supporting these claims is not always verified.

The attack underscores the ongoing threat posed by extremist groups in the region and raises concerns about security in Pakistan. Investigations are continuing to determine the full extent of the network involved in the bombing and to prevent future attacks.