Pakistan Arrests Mastermind of Deadly ISIS Suicide Attack in Islamabad

According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, Mohsin Naqvi, Pakistan‘s Interior Minister, confirmed on Saturday during a press conference that four suspects had been apprehended in a nocturnal raid. Among those detained is an Afghan national identified as the planner behind the suicide attack that targeted the capital city the previous day, reportedly acting on behalf of the terrorist organization ISIS.

The minister stated that this key ISIS operative was apprehended alongside three accomplices. Pakistani media reports indicate that the successful counter-terrorism operation took place in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The circumstances of the arrests were violent, as the security forces sustained losses during the operation: one security officer was killed, and three other personnel were wounded in the exchange.

The terrorist group ISIS had previously claimed responsibility for the bombing targeting a Shia mosque and Hussainia in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. Police in Islamabad had confirmed the previous day that an explosion had occurred at the Shia place of worship. Prior to the latest update, Islamabad police confirmed that the attack had resulted in 31 fatalities and 169 injuries.

The terrorist explosion occurred at the ‘Khadija-tul-Kubra’ Mosque and Hussainia, located in the Tarlai area of Islamabad.