Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi stated that during the operations to detain suspects, four individuals were captured, including the alleged organizer of the attack, a suicide bomber.
According to Naqvi, the detained organizer is an Afghan citizen linked to the "Islamic State." He claims that the attack was meticulously planned and that the terrorist received training in Afghanistan with financial assistance from India. However, the minister did not provide supporting evidence, and there have been no official comments from the authorities of India and Afghanistan at this time.
The Interior Minister also noted that several armed groups operate in Afghanistan that pose a threat to Pakistan. He urged the international community to pay attention to this situation, warning of the possibility of instability spreading beyond the region.
Earlier, the regional branch of the "Islamic State" claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that the attacker first opened fire on the guards near the main gates of the mosque and then activated the explosive device after entering.
According to ISIS, Shia Muslims in Pakistan are considered "legitimate targets" because, they claim, they are allegedly recruiting fighters to participate in the conflict against ISIS in Syria.
The explosion that occurred on Friday was the deadliest terrorist attack in Islamabad since 2008, when a suicide bomber attacked the Marriott hotel, killing 63 people and injuring more than 250. A similar incident also occurred last November when a suicide bomber attacked an area near the courthouse, resulting in 12 deaths.
