Afghan National, Four Others Arrested Over Islamabad Blast

News Desk 

Peshawar/Islamabad: Security and law-enforcement agencies on Saturday arrested an Afghan national identified as the mastermind of the suicide bombing at the Tarlai Kalan Imambargah in Islamabad, along with four local facilitators, during coordinated intelligence-based operations in Peshawar and Nowshera.

Officials said the raids were conducted by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and other security agencies following leads developed after Friday’s attack, which claimed 33 lives and left dozens injured.

Sources close to the investigation said the attack was orchestrated by Daesh (ISIS), which handled the planning, training, and radicalization of the suicide bomber. The arrested Afghan national is believed to have played a central role in directing the assault.

According to investigators, CTD Peshawar carried out early-morning search operations at the residence of an individual identified as Yasir. During the raid, Yasir’s two brothers, Bilal and Nasir, and his brother-in-law, Usman, were taken into custody.

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Officials said intercepted communications between Yasir and Usman shortly before the Islamabad blast raised serious suspicion, and all four suspects are currently undergoing intensive interrogation to determine their precise roles in facilitating the attack.

Preliminary findings revealed that Yasir had spent several months in Afghanistan, where he allegedly received specialized training in weapons handling and suicide bombing techniques. He reportedly returned to Pakistan in mid-2025 to activate the terrorist cell.

Meanwhile, Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, addressing a press conference in Islamabad, confirmed the arrests and said the Afghan mastermind affiliated with Daesh was also in custody. He said one KP police officer was martyred during the counterterrorism operation.

Naqvi accused India of financing and directing terrorist networks operating from Afghan soil, claiming the Islamabad attack was “planned, trained, and executed” in Afghanistan with foreign funding.

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“India is funding them, giving them targets, and planning every step,” he said, adding that terrorist groups including Daesh, Daesh, and other outfits operate jointly from Afghanistan. He cited United Nations reports indicating the presence of more than 21 terrorist organizations across the border.

The interior minister said Pakistan’s law-enforcement agencies launched immediate operations after the blast and worked through the night, resulting in the arrest of nearly all individuals linked to the attack by early morning.

“All planning and training took place in Afghanistan. We now have people in custody who have provided details about how the attacker was trained, transported, and sent back,” he said.

Naqvi said Pakistan would raise the issue at international forums and brief diplomatic missions abroad to highlight the threat posed by cross-border terrorism.

He also announced security upgrades for Islamabad, including reinforcement of 93 entry points, improvements to the capital’s smart security systems, and recruitment of 6,000 new police personnel.

“We are in a state of war. Pakistan remains safe, and we will continue fighting,” he said, adding that further briefings would follow as investigations progressed.