Fitna-al-Khwarij terrorists frequently targeted places of worship in Pakistan during 20 years: report

Islamabad (Web Desk): Terrorist groups associated with Fitna-al-Khwarij have persistently carried out attacks on mosques, imambargahs, and other religious sites in Pakistan, using the guise of faith to advance their destructive agenda. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in particular, has been a frequent target of these violent acts.

This month, a suicide bombing at a mosque in Islamabad resulted in the deaths of several worshippers and left many more injured. In 2023, explosions at mosques in Police Lines Peshawar and Hangu claimed dozens of lives and caused widespread injuries.

The pattern of attacks stretches back several years. In March 2022, a blast at Kucha Risaldaar Mosque in Peshawar killed multiple civilians. In March 2017, a car bomb near a mosque in Parachinar took the lives of numerous innocent people.

A suicide attack in Mohmand district in September 2016 also left several worshippers dead and wounded.

Earlier, in January 2015, an explosion at a mosque in Shikarpur killed several attendees, and in February 2012, a similar attack at a mosque in Parachinar Bazaar resulted in multiple fatalities.

Other suicide bombings targeting mosques and imambargahs in Darra Adamkhel, Kurram District, and Kohat have also claimed the lives of dozens and injured many over the years.

Leading Islamic scholars and Ulema have condemned such attacks, asserting that anyone who kills innocent people in houses of worship cannot be considered a follower of Islam.

They emphasize that the religion promotes peace and teaches that taking an innocent life is equivalent to destroying all of humanity.

Despite these repeated attacks, the Afghan Taliban regime has not issued any condemnation regarding the targeting of mosques in Pakistan.