Gunmen attack house of worship of minority sect in Pakistan, wounding 6 worshippers
At least three gunmen have attacked a main house of worship of the Ahmadi sect in eastern Pakistan, wounding six worshippers
ByThe Associated Press
October 10, 2025
LAHORE, Pakistan — LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — At least three gunmen attacked a house of worship of the Ahmadi sect in eastern Pakistan on Friday, wounding six worshippers before guards killed one of the attackers and the other two fled, police and a community spokesman said.
The attack took place in Rabwah, a city in Punjab province, said senior police officer Abdullah Ahmad. He said the assailants tried to enter the Bait-ul-Mehdi worship place during Friday prayers but were stopped by security personnel guarding the site.
Ahmadis represent a small minority in Muslim-majority Pakistan and have long faced persecution by hard-line Sunni groups who consider them heretics. Pakistan’s parliament declared Ahmadis non-Muslims in 1974, and they are barred by law from identifying as Muslims or calling their places of worship mosques. However, Ahmadis consider themselves Muslims.
Ahmad said police cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to track down the fleeing attackers.
No one claimed responsibility, and police said they were still investigating.
Images sent sent to The Associated Press by a community member showed the body of one slain attacker lying outside the gate of the worship place, as police officers searched the area for his accomplices.
Amir Mahmood, a spokesman for the Ahmadi community, urged the government to protect Ahmadis, whose places of worship and even graveyards are also often desecrated.
The Ahmadi faith was founded in the 19th century in the Indian subcontinent by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, whose followers believe he was a prophet.
Editor’s Note: I understand that Pakistani media is not permitted, by law, to call an Ahmadiyya Mosque a MOSQUE, however, international media could and should do so !!! A mosque is a mosque, unless you are Pakistani…
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad Prays for Victims Following Terror Attack on Ahmadiyya Mosque In Rabwah, Pakistan
October 10, 2025 Press Releases
“The Government of Punjab and its Chief Minister claim that crime in Punjab has been one hundred percent controlled and that no criminals remain. Yet, the repeated attacks upon Ahmadis – their being martyred, injured, or having their properties set ablaze – are seemingly not counted as crimes” – Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad
On Friday, 10 October 2025, His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the Worldwide Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, addressed the terrorist attack targeting Ahmadi Muslims who had been worshipping at the Baitul Mahdi Mosque in Rabwah*, Pakistan that had taken place earlier in the day.
According to initial reports, an armed assailant opened fire on members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community who were volunteering outside the Mosque to ensure the safety of worshippers. Several Ahmadi Muslims were fired upon and injured. At least two Ahmadi Muslims sustained critical injuries, whilst others suffered less severe injuries. The terrorist was shot dead by security personnel at the scene before he could enter the Mosque and target more innocent civilians.
This attack comes amid a long and sustained history of systematic persecution faced by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Pakistan, where members are denied basic civil and religious rights under discriminatory laws. Ahmadi Muslims are legally prohibited from identifying as Muslims or practising their faith openly, and they are often the target of hate campaigns and violent assaults.
His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, stated:
“Today in Rabwah, at Baitul Mahdi [mosque] located in Gol Bazaar, terrorists launched an attack in which five or six of our members were injured. Two of them are in a critical condition and were undergoing surgery. May Allah the Almighty grant them a full and speedy recovery, and may He bestow His grace upon all those who were wounded. Two of the seriously injured sustained gunshot wounds to the abdomen. One of the terrorists was killed by our security personnel. This is the report received so far; further details are still forthcoming.”
After describing the incident, His Holiness offered prayers for the members of the Community who were injured while serving their faith, and called upon the Government of Punjab to uphold justice and fulfil its duty to protect all citizens, rather than making hollow claims that crime in the province has been entirely eradicated.
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad stated:
“May Allah swiftly bring to justice those terrorists, lawbreakers, and opponents of the Community. The government of Punjab and its Chief Minister claim that crime in Punjab has been one hundred percent controlled and that no criminals remain. Yet, the repeated attacks upon Ahmadis – their being martyred, injured, or having their properties set ablaze – are seemingly not counted as crimes.
May Allah grant wisdom to these governments, and may He soon manifest His signs in favour of the Community.”
Earlier in his Friday Sermon, His Holiness reflected on a series of events that took place after the Holy Prophet’s (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) return to Madinah in the aftermath of the Victory of Makkah. These accounts serve as reminders of the Holy Prophet’s (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) unparalleled mercy and compassion and continue to guide the Community in how they must respond to adversity and uphold the principles of peace and forgiveness.
*Rabwah, located in the Punjab province, serves as the administrative headquarters of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Pakistan.
Categories: Ahmadis, Ahmadis And Pakistan, Ahmadiyyat: True Islam, Asia, Pakistan Police