Twelve individuals lost their lives in a suspected “suicide explosion” outside the district court in Islamabad. Responding swiftly, emergency teams, bomb disposal units, and forensic experts rushed to the site to investigate the incident. Around 20 people suffered injuries, with some receiving treatment at PIMS Hospital in the capital. Reports suggest the explosion originated from a nearby vehicle, triggering a fire.
A police spokesperson stated, “We are currently determining the nature of the explosion and will provide further details once we receive the forensic team’s report.” Officials confirmed the death toll at twelve, with at least 20 others injured. Efforts are underway to identify the victims. Security measures in Islamabad have been heightened to prevent any potential secondary attacks following the blast.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi of Pakistan disclosed that the suicide bomber aimed to enter the court premises but detonated the explosives near a police vehicle upon failing to do so. Video footage captured near the location showed a group of onlookers observing from a building balcony as smoke billowed from a vehicle, accompanied by blaring alarms. Witnesses began recording the chaotic scene on their mobile phones.
A lawyer present at the complex described the situation as “utter pandemonium.” Rustam Malik recounted, “As I arrived and entered the complex, I heard a loud bang at the gate. Chaos ensued, with lawyers and individuals rushing inside.” He added, “I witnessed two bodies at the gate and several vehicles engulfed in flames.”
The explosion occurred shortly after Pakistani security forces thwarted an overnight assault where armed assailants attacked a cadet college in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province near the Afghan border. The attempted attack involved a suicide car bomber and five militants targeting a former stronghold for the TTP, al-Qaeda, and other armed factions.
According to local police chief Alamgir Mahsud, troops neutralized two militants swiftly, while three others managed to infiltrate the compound before being cornered in an administrative building.