A suicide bomber detonated explosives outside district court buildings in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, on Tuesday, killing at least 12 people and wounding 27 others, according to the country's interior minister.
Chaos and Confirmation
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi confirmed to journalists that a suicide attack was carried out, marking the first major militant strike to hit the city in years. The blast sent people fleeing in panic from an area that also houses several government offices.
An AFP journalist reported seeing paramilitary troops cordoning off the area where the assailant detonated the explosives near a police vehicle. At least 12 people were martyred and around 27 are wounded, Naqvi stated, adding that authorities are working to identify the attacker and his origins.
Regional Context and Accusations
The bombing in Islamabad comes just one day after a car explosion in India's capital territory of Delhi killed at least eight people. This sequence of events has heightened tensions in the region.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif placed blame for the Islamabad attack on terrorist proxies backed by India, Pakistan's longtime rival, though he provided no immediate evidence to support the claim. He also accused the Pakistani Taliban militant group and separatists from Balochistan, both of whom have historically targeted security forces.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the Tuesday bombing.
Eyewitness Accounts of Panic
Lawyers present at the scene described moments of terror and chaos following the explosion.
"There was a massive blast," said lawyer Mohammed Shahzad Butt. "Everyone started running inside out of panic. I have seen at least five dead bodies lying at the front gate."
Another lawyer, Rustam Malik, reported hearing "a loud bang at the gate" as he was entering the complex. "It was complete chaos, lawyers and people were running inside the complex. I saw two dead bodies lying on the gate and several cars were on fire," he told AFP.
The attack disrupts a period of relative calm in the capital, with the last suicide attack occurring in Islamabad in December 2022. The bombing coincided with a separate security incident in northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Wana district, where Pakistani security forces battled militants who had holed up in a school, resulting in three deaths.
