UN agency calls killing of children ‘unconscionable’ as authorities arrest five suspects linked to Daesh
Paramilitary soldiers stand guard the site after a deadly explosion at an imambargah in the outskirts of Islamabad on February 6, 2026. PHOTO: REUTERS
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has condemned the deadly attack at an imambargah in Islamabad.
“UNICEF strongly condemns the devastating attack at a place of worship in Islamabad yesterday, that reportedly claimed the lives of six children,” the organisation said in a statement. “The killing of children is unconscionable and constitutes a grave violation of their rights.”
The UN agency extended its deepest condolences to the families of the victims and to the communities affected by the attack.
Read: 32 martyred in Islamabad imambargah suicide blast; govt blames ‘Indo-Afghan nexus’
UNICEF emphasised that children must never be targets of violence. “No child should ever be a target, nor exposed to violence. Children must be protected at all times,” the statement said.
The Friday attack at Imambargah Khadijah al-Kubra was the deadliest in Islamabad in over a decade and the deadliest in the country since the Peshawar mosque bombing in January 2023.
At least 32 people were killed and around 169 others injured when a suicide bomber struck the imambargah, according to authorities and hospital officials. The blast occurred as worshippers gathered for Jumma (Friday) prayers and was accompanied by explosions and gunfire.
On Saturday, Pakistani authorities made a breakthrough in the investigation into the attack, arresting four facilitators and an Afghan mastermind linked to Islamic State (Daesh), security sources said.
Read More: Four facilitators, Daesh mastermind held in Islamabad imambargah suicide attack
According to investigators, the suicide bomber was identified as Yasir, a resident of Peshawar. His four facilitators were taken into custody, including individuals who allegedly provided facilitation in the Rawalpindi area.
Authorities had earlier said Yasir’s two brothers, Bilal and Nasir, and his brother-in-law Usman were arrested from the Tarnab Farm area, while his mother was detained from a house in a posh sector of Islamabad.
