- Beijing mourns lives lost, expresses solidarity with injured.
- 33 people killed, dozens injured in imambargah suicide blast.
- Mastermind and facilitators held, says Interior Minister Naqvi.
BEIJING: China on Sunday condemned an attack on a mosque in Islamabad, pledging support for the government’s efforts to “maintain national security and stability”.
“China is deeply shocked by the deadly explosion in Islamabad and the heavy casualties it has inflicted. China mourns for the lives lost, and our hearts go out to the injured and those who lost their loved ones,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
“China strongly condemns the attack, opposes any form of terrorism and firmly supports the Pakistani government in safeguarding national security and stability and protecting the safety of the people,” it added.
The condemnation comes in the wake of the deadly attack at Imambargah and Mosque Khadijat-ul-Kubra in Islamabad’s Tarlai area during Friday prayers, which left at least 33 people martyred and dozens injured.
The suicide bomber opened fire before detonating himself at the entrance of the imambargah.
Investigators said they recovered the suspected bomber’s identity card at the blast site, which showed his name as Yasir, 32, a resident of Peshawar, according to the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra).
They added that the attacker had been living in Afghanistan for the past five months, where he received training in the use of weapons and suicide bombing.
‘Suicide attacker used 4kg of explosive’
Meanwhile, investigations into the blast are underway, with sensational revelations emerging.
According to sources, the suicide attacker fired two shots along the way and six more inside the hall before carrying out the blast in the mosque. Around four kilogrammes of explosive material were used in the attack.
Sources added that the explosive device contained a large number of ball bearings. The attacker allegedly wore the suicide jacket in Nowshera and reached Islamabad via public transport.
Before the attack, he reportedly sat for a while at a nearby hotel and then walked to the mosque from Khanna Road.
The investigators revealed that the attacker conducted reconnaissance of the mosque on February 2. Before the attack, he had travelled to Afghanistan in May and returned in June, after which he activated a new mobile SIM card in Bajaur.
‘Mastermind held’
A day earlier, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi confirmed that the mastermind of the attack, associated with the banned Daesh, is in the custody of Pakistan along with the attacker’s facilitators.
Addressing a presser in Islamabad, he said that the mastermind and the facilitators of the deadly attack were arrested in raids conducted in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Peshawar and Nowshera immediately after the blast.
“I am telling you again with clarity that their [terrorist outfits] entire funding is being provided by India. All targets being provided to them by India,” Naqvi said during his presser.
He added that the KP Counter Terrorism Department has arrested all individuals linked to the attack, adding that the CTD and other agencies worked together as a team during the operations.
During the raids, he said that a KP policeman was martyred and a few others were injured.
