On February 6, 2026, a suicide bomber struck the Imambargah Qasr-e-Khadijatul Kubra in Tarlai Kalan on the outskirts of Islamabad during Friday prayers, killing over 30 people and injuring at least 169 others, according to preliminary reports. The attack marks the second major assault on Pakistan’s capital within months, signaling an escalating pattern of urban targeting by militant actors and raising critical questions about the trajectory of security dynamics in Pakistan.
Security personnel at the mosque gate intercepted the bomber before he could enter the main prayer hall, preventing what officials described as a potentially far greater catastrophe. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif stated that preliminary findings suggest the attacker had been travelling to and from Afghanistan, a detail that underscores the persistent cross-border dimensions of Pakistan’s security challenges.
The Attack and Immediate Aftermath
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