Islamabad Blast: Suicide Bomber’s Family Held as Authorities Launch Nationwide Crackdown

Pakistani security agencies have arrested close family members of the suicide bomber responsible for the deadly attack on an imambargah in Islamabad’s Tarlai area, as counterterrorism operations intensify across the country, intelligence sources confirmed.

The bomber, identified as Yasir Khan from Peshawar, was reportedly in regular contact with his brother-in-law, Usman. His brothers, Bilal and Nasir, along with Usman, were arrested during raids in the Tarnab Farm area. Officials earlier confirmed that one brother was detained in Peshawar, while the brother-in-law was apprehended in a related operation.

Sources said a key facilitator linked to the attack was killed in an intelligence-led operation in Nowshera. In a major development, authorities also arrested the bomber’s mother from a residence in an upscale sector of Islamabad. Officials say nationwide operations are under way to dismantle the terror network behind the attack.

Investigators have traced Yasir Khan’s movements prior to the bombing. He reportedly travelled to Afghanistan in May, returned in June, and later moved to Bajaur, where he activated a SIM card. He remained there from late June until October before relocating to Hakeemabad in Nowshera. Police said he conducted reconnaissance of the targeted imambargah on February 2, days before the attack.

At least 32 people were killed and around 169 injured when the suicide bomber struck Imambargah Khadijah al-Kubra during Friday prayers. The attack, involving explosions and gunfire, was the deadliest in Islamabad in over a decade and the worst nationwide since the January 2023 Peshawar mosque bombing.

Authorities say Yasir Khan travelled to Afghanistan multiple times and received militant training there, including at the Mansoor Istashhadi training centre in Kunar province. Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry confirmed the bomber’s identity, noting that forensic evidence revealed repeated cross-border travel.

Senior government officials, including Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, alleged links between militant groups operating from Afghanistan and India—claims denied by Kabul. The minister vowed a strong state response, calling the attackers “enemies of religion and the nation.”