ISLAMABAD: A suicide bomber struck an imambargah on the outskirts of the capital on Wednesday evening, killing three people and wounding four others.

This was the second attack on the Imambargah Qasr-i-Sakina, located in the rural locality of Shakrial, near the Faizabad Interchange that links Rawalpindi and Islamabad. In Dec 2009, a suicide attacker blew himself up as he attempted to force his way into the imambargah, killing two people, including a seven-year-old girl.

In both cases, the suicide bombers’ vests failed to detonate completely, killing them on the spot, but leaving their bodies intact. On Wednesday night, police were still unsure whether the attack was carried out by a lone attacker or a group of terrorists.

Two guards and the bomber killed

According to police and eyewitnesses, a congregation of 50 to 70 people were offering Maghreb prayers at the imambargah when a man said to be in his mid-20s tried to enter the compound. He was intercepted by a guard at the gate, who tried to frisk the man, but the attacker shot the guard and forced his way in.

Other guards, stationed 10 to 15 feet from the gate, heard the gunfire and reacted, but they too were shot one after another, eyewitnesses said.

The attacker then managed to make his way into the main prayer hall and detonated his vest. However, the explosives malfunctioned and did not go off properly.

Shortly after the incident, police and rescue workers from the twin cities reached the spot and began clearing the area and moving the injured to hospitals. Military and Rangers personnel were also called in to assist with security and bomb disposal duties.

An examination of the attacker’s body revealed a fatal injury to the right side of his body, but it was unclear whether the wound was caused by the misfiring jacket or a bullet.

Syed Hussain Shah, who oversaw security at the imambargah, told Dawn that the attacker first shot and killed two guards, then injured three others as he made his way inside the compound.

He said that neither police nor the district administration had provided them any security and arrangements were completely overseen by volunteers.

Some eyewitnesses told Dawn that there was more than one attacker, but said that the others fled after the suicide bomber was killed. They said that a hand grenade was used to blow up the gate, which was locked from the inside by one of the guards.

This was the first major terrorist attack in Islamabad after June 2014, when a shrine on the outskirts of the capital was attacked by a suicide bomber. The incident brought the Islamabad Expressway, the main artery connecting the twin cities, to a standstill.

Victims and locals also staged a protest and decried the government for failing to protect the places of worship.

The capital police is currently in the throes of an administrative crisis. DIG Operations Tahir Alam Khan currently holds acting charge as the inspector general, while no DIG Security has been appointed. In addition, SSP Security has been given the charge of SSP Operations, but even he is currently abroad.

Published in Dawn, February 19th, 2015

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