Countries including the US, the UK, Canada, Russia, China, France, Turkey and Iran condemned a deadly suicide bombing at a Shia mosque on the outskirts of Pakistan’s capital Islamabad on Friday, as tensions flared over accusations surrounding the attack.
At least 31 people were killed and 169 wounded when a suicide bomber struck a Shia mosque on the outskirts of the city, Pakistani authorities said. A Pakistan-based affiliate of Daesh claimed responsibility.
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said earlier the attacker had travelled to Afghanistan and alleged links between India and the Taliban – claims New Delhi rejected as baseless.
India’s foreign ministry, while condemning the attack, said it was “regrettable that Pakistan, instead of addressing the serious challenges within its own social fabric, chooses to mislead itself by blaming others to conceal its internal failures.”
The US embassy in Islamabad said Washington stood with Pakistan at a difficult moment and remained committed to supporting efforts to promote peace and stability.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said the killing of civilians during a religious gathering once again demonstrated the “brutal and inhuman nature of terrorism,” and pledged continued cooperation with Pakistan on counter-terrorism.
Germany, Italy, Spain, France, the Netherlands, Turkey, Iran and China also issued statements condemning the bombing and reaffirming opposition to violent extremism.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he was “horrified” by the bombing and expressed condolences to the families of the victims. The European Union said it was “deeply shocked” by the attack and reiterated its opposition to all forms of terrorism.
British Foreign Secretary described the attack as “horrific and abhorrent,” saying the UK stood with Pakistan in the fight against terrorism.
The Taliban also condemned the attack. However, after comments by Pakistani officials, the Taliban-run defence ministry said Pakistan should reassess its own security policies rather than “deflect responsibility for its security failures,” calling the accusations against Afghanistan “irresponsible.”
Pakistan has faced a resurgence of militant violence in recent years, with religious minorities and security forces among frequent targets.
