Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi stated that raids were conducted as part of a security operation, during which suspects were apprehended, including the alleged organizer of the attack.
According to Naqvi, this organizer is an Afghan national linked to the "Islamic State." He also claims that the attack was meticulously planned and that the suicide bomber received training in Afghanistan with financial support from India; however, the minister did not provide specific evidence for this information. So far, neither New Delhi nor Kabul has commented on the situation.
Furthermore, the head of Pakistan's Interior Ministry noted that several groups operating in Afghanistan pose a threat to his country and urged the international community to pay attention to this issue, emphasizing the risk of instability spreading beyond the region.
Yesterday, the regional branch of the "Islamic State in Pakistan" claimed responsibility for the attack. In their statement, they asserted that the attacker first opened fire on the guards at the main entrance to the mosque and then, having entered, used an explosive device.
According to ISIS, Shia Muslims in Pakistan are "legitimate targets" as they allegedly recruit fighters to participate in combat against ISIS in Syria.
This explosion, which occurred last Friday, became the deadliest terrorist attack in Islamabad since 2008, when an attack on the Marriott hotel resulted in the deaths of 63 people and over 250 were injured. Additionally, in November of last year, a suicide bomber attacked an area near the courthouse in the capital, resulting in the deaths of 12 people.
