ISLAMABAD: A suicide bomber killed at least 31 people and wounded almost 170 others during Friday prayers in a mosque in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, police and government officials said.
Images from the site showed bloodied bodies lying on the carpeted mosque floor surrounded by shards of glass, debris, and panicked worshippers.
Dozens more wounded were lying in the gardens of the Khadija Tul Kubra Imambargah, in a semi-urban area on the outskirts of Islamabad, as people called for help.
"The death toll in the blast has risen. A total of 31 people have lost their lives. The number of wounded brought to hospitals has risen to 169," Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Irfan Memon said in a statement.
Two police officials said the attacker was stopped at the gate of the mosque before detonating the bomb. They asked not to be identified as they were not authorised to speak to the media.
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