Shia Muslims Killed in Pakistan (Islamabad Mosque Attack)
Michiyo Tanabe and Hiroshi Saito
Modern Tokyo Times
At least 30 people have been killed after a suspected Sunni Islamist terrorist targeted innocent Shia Muslims in Islamabad. The latest atrocity comes amid escalating tensions in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan region. Taken together with ongoing strains involving the Taliban in Afghanistan, recent events underscore the deep internal challenges that continue to blight Pakistan.
The sectarian attack struck the Tarlai Kalan area of Islamabad. One moment, Shia Muslims were immersed in Friday prayers; the next, chaos erupted as worshippers were brutally killed and injured.
Early indications suggest a suicide bombing caused the deadly carnage.
Al Jazeera reports: “Medics and bystanders helped unload victims with blood-soaked clothes from the back of ambulances and vehicles. At least one casualty arrived in the boot of a car, while friends and relatives of the wounded screamed as they arrived at the hospital’s heavily guarded emergency ward.”
Fears remain that the death toll will rise beyond the currently reported 31 fatalities. With 169 people rushed to hospital following the Khadija Tul Kubra Mosque attack, countless families are anxiously awaiting news of their loved ones.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the terrorist attack and expressed his “deep grief” over the loss of so many lives.
Sectarian violence against Shia Muslims is tragically familiar in Pakistan. Other religious minorities, including Ahmadiyya Muslims and Christians, also face persistent persecution. Meanwhile, tensions with Afghanistan and separatist unrest in Balochistan continue to compound the nation’s mounting woes.
Lee Jay Walker (Modern Tokyo Times analyst) says, “Takfiri Islamists deem Shia Muslims to be infidels and therefore legitimate targets for slaughter.”
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