Islam forbids Muslims to kill other Muslims intentionally (cf. Koran 4:92), but the attackers here no doubt saw their victims as apostates or hypocrites, because of their connection with the U.S.-supported Pakistani army. “35 killed in mosque suicide attack,” from Dublin’s Independent, December 4 (thanks to Twostellas):
Suicide attackers have stormed a mosque close to Pakistan’s army headquarters, killing 35 people during Friday prayers.
They sprayed gunfire at worshippers and threw grenades before blowing themselves up, officials said.
The strike by at least two gunmen was part of a wave of bloodshed that has killed more than 400 people in Pakistan since October.
It was a bloody reminder of the resilience of militant networks despite army offensives against the Taliban in the north-west regions bordering Afghanistan.
Two hours after the attack began, occasional gunshots were still being heard from inside the heavily fortified area in the garrison city of Rawalpindi just a few miles from the capital. Reporters were kept away from the scene.
Three helicopters hovered overhead while trucks carrying commando teams and ambulances raced through the cordoned-off area as soldiers kept onlookers and traffic away.
The attack, the third to target Rawalpindi in nearly two months, began when several gunmen staged an explosion to break through a checkpoint close to the mosque, which was popular with army officers, said Yasir Nawaz, a police official at the scene. He said the installation included an army parade ground as well as the mosque, which was often used by military officers….