Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi stated that the operations to apprehend the suspects took place in several areas, during which the alleged organizer of the attack was arrested. According to him, this individual is an Afghan citizen linked to the "Islamic State."
Naqvi claimed that the attack was meticulously planned, and the suicide bomber received training in Afghanistan with financial support from India; however, no specific evidence for this was provided. Meanwhile, there has been no official response from the authorities in India and Afghanistan so far.
The Interior Minister also emphasized that several groups operating in Afghanistan pose a threat to Pakistan and urged the international community to pay attention to this issue, warning of potential instability in the region.
Earlier, responsibility for the attack was claimed by a local cell of the "Islamic State in Pakistan," which reported that the assault began with gunfire directed at the guards at the main gates of the mosque, after which the terrorist, having reached the inner gates, detonated an explosive device.
According to statements from ISIS, Shia Muslims in Pakistan are considered "legitimate targets" as they allegedly actively participate in recruiting fighters to combat ISIS in Syria.
This explosion became the deadliest terrorist attack in Islamabad since 2008, when the Marriott hotel was attacked, resulting in 63 deaths and over 250 injuries. Additionally, a terrorist attack near a courthouse in the capital last November claimed the lives of 12 people.
