32 killed in blast at Islamabad Imambargah: A powerful explosion occurred as worshippers went into prostration after praying the first rak'ah.

The worshippers had completed the first rak‘at and gone into prostration when the explosion occurred. The blast was so intense that screams erupted everywhere and the entire area was filled with smoke.”
Zahid Ali, who was injured in the suicide attack at an Imambargah in the Tarlai area of Islamabad, said that the prayer had begun at one o’clock.
He said, “I was standing in a corner in the last rows. I lost consciousness and have only just regained my senses.”
Fortunately, Zahid Ali did not suffer serious injuries.
His cousin Javed Khan, who was with him, said that they had gone together to offer prayers but were delayed because of performing ablution.
“When I returned after ablution, the worshippers had already gone into prostration. At that moment I saw the suicide bomber open fire on the guard at the gate, enter the premises and blow himself up.”
Javed Khan added that more firing also took place at that time.
So far, 32 people have been killed and 168 injured in the suicide bombing that occurred during Friday prayers at the Imambargah in Tarlai, Islamabad, the federal capital of Pakistan.
Immediately after the blast, an emergency was declared in Islamabad and the injured were shifted to PIMS, Polyclinic and other hospitals.
According to police officials and eyewitnesses, the incident in Tarlai Kalan, a suburb of Islamabad, was a suicide attack.

One attacker escaped after retaliatory firing

Another eyewitness to the attack, Haider Abbas Rizvi, said that he was heading toward the mosque inside the Imambargah to offer Friday prayers when he saw two men armed with modern weapons open fire on the security personnel stationed at the main gate.
He said that as a result of the firing, two security guards fell to the ground after being shot, while a third guard returned fire.
According to him, one attacker fled into nearby streets after the retaliatory firing, while the second suicide attacker continued shooting.
Rizvi said that the third security guard was also wounded and fell, but even then he kept firing.
He added that the suicide attacker entered the Imambargah, and some bullets fired by the fallen guard struck the attacker as well. The attacker then collapsed and a huge explosion occurred.
He said that many people were heading toward the mosque at the spot inside the main gate where the attacker blew himself up.
Rizvi added that a large number of people were present inside the mosque of the Imambargah for Friday prayers. “Had the suicide bomber reached inside the mosque, the loss would have been even greater,” he said.
Another eyewitness, Raza Jafri, said that especially during prayer times, six security personnel are deployed at the main gate of the Imambargah—three of them check every person before entry, while the other three remain armed.
He added that a few years ago this Imambargah had also been targeted by extremists, but timely action had prevented the attackers from succeeding.

Body parts stuck to the walls and ceiling

Hearing the sound of the blast, many people rushed to the scene where dozens of bodies and severed limbs were scattered, and pieces of flesh were stuck to the ceiling and walls.
He said that local people, on their own initiative, shifted the injured and the bodies of the deceased to nearby hospitals.
Zahir Abbas, another injured victim, told the BBC that they were in the first rak‘at when he heard the sound of two gunshots.
“After that we went into bowing and then into prostration when suddenly the explosion happened.”
He said, “There were wounded people lying everywhere. I lost my senses at that moment. Soon police and rescue workers arrived, pulled me out and took me to hospital.”
Zahir Abbas said the blast was so severe that its impact still echoed in his ears.

Where did the explosion occur?

The Imambargah Khadijat-ul-Kubra is located not far from COMSATS University and two other universities, and the area is only about 12–15 kilometers from Islamabad’s Red Zone.
After the incident, police and other law-enforcement agencies cordoned off the entire area, and forensic teams collected evidence from the scene.
Rangers and army personnel also reached the site and assigned police to disperse the crowd.
According to eyewitnesses, despite one of the two suicide attackers having escaped, people remained standing fearlessly at the site while police repeatedly requested them to vacate the area.
Police and other security agencies have set up checkpoints in various parts of the city to search for the second alleged attacker.