• Funeral services for victims commenced as thousands gathered to mourn the loss of 32 individuals.
• Authorities arrested four suspects, including the alleged mastermind of the attack.
• The Islamic State group claimed responsibility, marking the deadliest assault in Islamabad in over a decade.

ISLAMABAD, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Thousands of mourners gathered in Islamabad to bury the 32 people killed in a suicide bombing at a Shiite mosque during Friday prayers. The attack, which injured more than 170 others, saw a shooter first open fire on security guards before detonating his explosives inside the Khadija Tul Kubra mosque compound, according to Reuters.

In response to this tragedy, Pakastani security forces have arrested four suspects, including an alleged Afghan mastermind, amid operations in Peshawar and Nowshera. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi highlighted the urgency of the situation, noting that one officer lost his life and three others were injured during the raids, as reported by Los Angeles Times and CBS News.

The assault, which has been linked to the Islamic State group, was described as the deadliest incident in Islamabad since 2008. Eyewitness accounts depict a scene of chaos and destruction, with bodies strewn across the area after the explosion. The bomber is thought to have had training in Afghanistan and was allegedly backed financially by India, a claim that India's Ministry of External Affairs dismissed as "baseless" and "pointless," according to Channel News Asia and BBC.

As the government increases security in Islamabad, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif offered condolences and vowed to pursue justice for the victims. This incident raises concerns over a potential rise in sectarian violence, particularly against the Shiite minority in the Sunni-dominated country, and the ongoing terrorism threat from groups like the Islamic State, which has a history of targeting such communities in Pakistan, per Al Jazeera and Los Angeles Times.