A suicide bombing at a mosque in Islamabad’s Tarlai area during Friday prayers killed at least 31 worshippers and injured more than 169 others, officials said.

Police said the attacker was affiliated with the terrorist group Fitna al-Khwarij. A forensic team collected body parts and other evidence from the site to aid the investigation.

A spokesperson for the district administration confirmed the death toll and said dozens of the wounded were shifted to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) for treatment. Several victims remain in critical condition.

Police sources said the attacker attempted to enter the mosque during prayers but was stopped by worshippers and security personnel at the entrance gate. He then detonated the explosive device, causing a powerful blast inside the premises.

Eyewitnesses said gunfire was heard shortly after the first unit of prayer, followed by a loud explosion when worshippers were in prostration.

Following the blast, police, rescue teams, law enforcement agencies and bomb disposal squads rushed to the scene. The area was sealed off, nearby roads were closed, and security was tightened across the federal capital on the instructions of the Islamabad inspector general.

Initial rescue efforts were carried out by residents, who shifted the injured to hospitals before ambulances arrived.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi directed Minister of State Talal Chaudhry to visit PIMS, where he met the injured and instructed hospital authorities to ensure special medical facilities for the victims. Sources said relatives of senior police officials were also among those affected.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the attack, expressed grief over the loss of lives, and offered condolences to the bereaved families. He prayed for the departed and the speedy recovery of the injured.

The prime minister held a meeting with Interior Minister Naqvi to review the security situation and ordered a full and transparent investigation to identify and arrest those responsible.

President Asif Ali Zardari also condemned the bombing, calling the targeting of innocent worshippers a crime against humanity. He directed authorities to provide all possible medical assistance to the injured.

Foreign diplomats also denounced the attack. British High Commissioner Jane Marriott said she was “heartbroken” by the “horrific terrorist attack” during Friday prayers and expressed solidarity with Pakistan. Iranian Ambassador Reza Amiri Moghadam likewise condemned the bombing and extended condolences to the victims’ families.

Authorities said the attack had no connection with Islam and vowed to bring the perpetrators and their facilitators to justice.