In a significant counterterrorism breakthrough, the Islamabad imambargah suicide blast arrests have led to the detention of four key facilitators, including the alleged mastermind behind the deadly attack at Khadijah al-Kubra Imambargah, according to security sources.
Intelligence agencies, working closely with law enforcement, carried out coordinated operations in the Peshawar and Nowshera districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Officials said the raids relied on a mix of technical surveillance and human intelligence.
Security officials confirmed that the suspected mastermind of the suicide bombing is an افغان national affiliated with the outlawed Daesh group. Investigators believe the attacker was trained and radicalised in Afghanistan before being deployed in Pakistan.
Authorities warned that militant groups operating under the patronage of the Afghan Taliban continue to pose serious risks to both regional and global security. The latest arrests, they said, are part of broader efforts to dismantle these networks.
During the intelligence-based operations, one security personnel member embraced martyrdom, while three others sustained injuries. A police spokesperson later confirmed that an assistant sub-inspector was martyred, while another ASI and a constable were wounded.
Funeral prayers for the martyred officer were offered, with colleagues and officials paying tribute to his sacrifice in the line of duty.
Background of the Islamabad suicide attack
The arrests followed a devastating suicide blast at an Islamabad imambargah during Friday prayers, which claimed at least 33 lives and left dozens injured. The attacker detonated explosives at the entrance of the imambargah in the Tarlai area after opening fire.
Investigators recovered the suspected bomber’s identity card from the scene. According to records from the National Database and Registration Authority, the attacker was identified as Yasir, a 32-year-old resident of Peshawar.
Read: Islamabad Imambargah Suicide Attack Leaves 31 Martyred
Security sources revealed that Yasir had travelled to Afghanistan in May last year and returned to Pakistan the following month. In June 2025, he activated a new mobile SIM in Bajaur and remained in the area for several months.
Later, the bomber moved from Bajaur to Hakimabad in Nowshera. Investigators said he conducted reconnaissance of the targeted Islamabad imambargah on February 2, with surveillance and target selection continuing for weeks before the attack.
Following the suicide blast, law enforcement agencies launched a wide-scale crackdown to trace the facilitators and planners involved. During the operation, authorities raided the attacker’s residence in Peshawar and arrested two brothers and a brother-in-law.
Security officials said intelligence-based operations against terrorist networks are ongoing, with further arrests expected as investigations progress.
According to security sources, the mastermind was an Afghan national linked to the outlawed Daesh group. Investigators believe the attacker was trained and radicalised in Afghanistan.
Intelligence agencies conducted coordinated raids in Peshawar and Nowshera using technical and human intelligence. These operations led to the arrest of four key facilitators.
One assistant sub-inspector was martyred, while three other personnel were injured during the raids. Funeral prayers for the martyred officer have since been held.
