Fact Check: 2022 Blast Image Misleadingly Linked to Recent Islamabad Mosque Attack
Vishvas News investigated and found that the viral image is not from a recent incident. The investigation revealed that the image was taken in December 2022, after a suicide attack in Islamabad, when security officials were inspecting the scene.
- By: Umam Noor
- Published: Feb 11, 2026 at 01:25 PM
- Updated: Feb 11, 2026 at 01:28 PM
New Delhi (Vishvas News). On January 6, 2026, a blast at a Shia mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan, killed 31 people and injured many others. Meanwhile, a photo is going viral on social media, which shows the aftermath of a blast. The image is being shared with the claim that it is of the recent suicide bombing at the Shia mosque in Islamabad.
Vishvas News investigated and found that the viral photo is not from a recent incident. The investigation revealed that the image is from December 2022, after a suicide attack in Islamabad.
What’s in the viral post?
Facebook user Munesh Kumar Gupta shared the viral post on February 8, 2026, with the caption, “Scene of terror after Friday prayers. 68 people have died, and more than 169 are reported injured in a suicide bombing at a Shia mosque in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad. The explosion was so powerful that its echo was heard for about five km, causing panic throughout the area.”
Investigation
To begin our investigation, we first searched the viral photo using Google Lens. We found the viral image uploaded with a news story on a website called ‘taipeitimes.com’. According to the news report dated December 27, 2022, “Police officers are investigating the site after a bomb blast in Islamabad.” The photo was attributed to EPA Images.
Based on this, we further investigated and landed on the website of the photo agency ‘epaimages‘. A keyword search here revealed viral and several other photos of the same incident. The description states, “Pakistani security officials inspect the site of a bomb blast in Islamabad, Pakistan, on December 23, 2022. According to Deputy Inspector General of Police Sohail Zafar Chatta, a suicide attack in Islamabad killed one policeman and injured at least six people, including four police officers and two civilians. The blast occurred near a posh market, university, and government office area.”
We also found images of the attack on Alamy.com.
A similar news search led us to a report on the Dawn News website dated December 23, 2022. The description states, “A suicide attack occurred in Islamabad when the attacker blew himself up after stopping a suspicious car. One policeman was killed and at least six people, including four civilians, were injured.” More news related to this case can be read on these news websites.
On February 6, 2026, a suicide bombing occurred at a Shia mosque in the Tarlai area of Islamabad during Friday prayers. At least 31 people were killed, and 169 others were injured in this attack. Related reports can be found on Dawn News and the BBC.
To verify the viral post’s claim, we contacted Pakistani journalist Adil Ali, who confirmed that the image is old.
Lastly, we scanned the Facebook profile of Munesh Kumar Gupta, who shared the misleading post and found that the user has over 6,500 followers and actively posts on Facebook.
Conclusion: Vishvas News investigated and found that the viral image is not from a recent incident. The investigation revealed that the image was taken in December 2022, after a suicide attack in Islamabad, when security officials were inspecting the scene.
- Claim Review : Video from Islamabad Mosque Attack
- Claimed By : Facebook user Munesh Kumar Gupta
- Fact Check : False
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