Welcome to this special episode of The Levant Files Deep Dive, available on all major podcast platforms.
On 6 February 2026, the relative peace of Pakistan’s capital was shattered when a suicide bomber targeted the Khadija Tul Kubra Shia mosque in Tarlai Kalan. During the main Friday prayers, an attacker wearing an explosive vest and carrying a firearm opened fire on volunteer guards at the gate before detonating himself near the back rows of more than 400 worshippers inside. The carnage was devastating: at least 31 people were killed and approximately 170 others injured, many critically.
This atrocity—the deadliest attack in Islamabad since 2008—was swiftly claimed by the Islamic State–Pakistan Province (ISPP). The group framed the bombing as a sectarian strike against “infidel” Shias. While Pakistani officials have alleged that “India-backed proxies” operating from Afghan soil facilitated the attack, independent analysts argue it aligns closely with ISPP’s documented pattern of anti-Shia sectarian violence.
The bombing signals a terrifying resurgence of militants’ urban reach, underscoring that even the capital’s outskirts are no longer insulated from the violence ravaging the border provinces. It also highlights the acute vulnerability of Pakistan’s Shia minority, which has long borne a disproportionate share of the country’s internal terrorism. As political instability and economic strain continue to fracture the state, groups like ISPP exploit sectarian fault lines to erode public confidence and destabilize regional security.
Photo: Gemini AI