Islamabad: A would-be suicide bomber was on Friday gunned down in an exchange of fire, which also claimed the life of a security guard, in a Shiite mosque in Pakistan`s capital here.
The suspect entered the Jamia Masjid while prayers were in progress. When the attacker`s jacket did not explode, he fired indiscriminately killing a guard of the mosque and injuring two people.
Initial reports suggest the bomber got into a scuffle with the guard, shooting him when he was denied entrance to the main hall of the mosque. Security personnel in the mosque killed the suicide bomber by firing back.
Senior Superintendent of Police Operation Rizwan told a TV channel that the mosque has now been sealed off by police personnel and that the bomb disposal squad has been called in to clear the area of any explosives.
Security has been beefed up in Islamabad and the rest of the country due to threats of terrorist attacks on the Muslim holy day of Eid ul-Fitr.
The attack in Bhara Kahu, a village on the northeastern outskirts of Islamabad, came hours after gunmen opened fire on worshippers leaving prayers for the Eid ul-Fitr festival at a mosque in Quetta killing at least 10.
PTI
