31 Dead, 169 Injured After Mosque Bombing Strikes Pakistan

The bombing occurred on Friday in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, where prayers were taking place at a Shiite mosque. According to local police, the man drove onto the grounds in a vehicle before being stopped by security. The bomber exited the car and began firing at security guards before detonating his explosive vest.

Hundreds of people were injured, with emergency response teams scrambling to reach the site, and the attack was condemned by major nations like the US and China. The bomber was later identified as Yasir Khan, a 26-year-old Pakistani native.

ISIS, also known as the Islamic State, quickly claimed responsibility for the attack and warned that more violence would be on the way. Designated as an international terrorist group, ISIS stands as a radical Sunni jihadist group that attempts to impose extremely strict Islamic law on the world, aiming to achieve their goals through continued violence and attacks.

Local authorities have arrested a total of four suspects, as well as the alleged "mastermind" behind the plan– an Afghani ISIS operative who managed the training and planning for the attack, which also took place in Afghanistan.

However, ISIS continues to operate in small cells, making it virtually impossible to eliminate the entire organization. Over the last few months, the terrorist group has carried out several deadly attacks, including the Bondi Beach massacre in Sydney, Australia in December and the Pakistani Taliban executed a suicide bombing on a courthouse in Islamabad in November.

Additionally, further violence from other groups, like the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), continues to destabilize the nation, stopping Pakistan from revitalizing its dying economy.