Suicide bomb blast kills dozens and injures nearly 200 in Pakistan

A suicide bomber killed at least 31 people and injured 169 at a mosque in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad.

Images from the site showed bloodied bodies lying on the carpeted mosque floor surrounded by shards of glass, debris and panicked worshippers.

Dozens more wounded were lying in the garden outside the mosque as people called for help. 

The explosion occurred after Friday prayers, when mosques around the country are packed with worshippers.

Two police officials said the attacker was stopped at the gate of the mosque before detonating the bomb. 

Disturbing television footage and social media images showed officers and local residents scrambling to carry bloodied victims to nearby hospitals as ambulances rushed to the scene.

Journalists at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences hospital saw several adults and children being carried in on stretchers or by their arms and legs.

Medics and bystanders were seen helping to unload injured people from ambulances and private vehicles, with at least one casualty arriving in the boot of a car.

Friends and relatives of the wounded shouted as they arrived at the hospital's heavily guarded emergency ward.

Shortly after the explosion was first reported with a lower number of casualties, Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Irfan Memon confirmed the death toll had risen to 31.

'The death toll in the blast has risen. A total of 31 people have lost their lives. The number of wounded brought to hospitals have risen to 169,' Memon said.

Rescuers and witnesses said some of the wounded were listed as being in critical condition. Islamabad police confirmed an investigation was underway. 

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he 'strongly condemns' the attack and expressed 'deep grief'.

President Asif Ali Zardari extended condolences to the victims who lost their lives in the blast, according to a statement issued by the PPP on X. 'Targeting innocent civilians is a crime against humanity', he said.

The president prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured and directed that all possible medical facilities be provided to them.

Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also condemned the attack and urged authorities to ensure the best possible medical care for the wounded, who were being taken to hospitals across the capital.

No group immediately claimed responsibility, but suspicion is likely to fall on militant outfits such as the Pakistani Taliban or the Islamic State, both of which have been blamed for previous attacks targeting Shiite worshippers, a minority in Pakistan.

Bombings are rare in the heavily-guarded capital, although Pakistan has been hit by a rising wave of militancy in the past few years.

Militants have repeatedly targeted security forces and civilians across the country.

In November, a suicide bomber had struck outside a court in Islamabad, killing 12 people. 

The latest attack comes nearly a week after the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army carried out multiple attacks in insurgency-hit southwestern Balochistan province, killing about 50 people.

Security forces responding to those attacks also killed more than 200 'terrorists,' according to the military.

This is a breaking news story, more to follow.