A suicide bombing near a courthouse in Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, has resulted in the deaths of 12 individuals and left at least 27 others wounded, according to the country’s interior minister.
Mohsin Naqvi indicated that the attacker intended to strike the district courthouse but failed to enter the premises.
Naqvi emphasized that identifying the bomber would be a top priority for authorities and that those responsible would face justice.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan accused extremist factions “actively supported by India” of being complicit.
An official from the Indian government refuted what they characterized as “groundless and unfounded claims.”
In a statement, Sharif remarked that “attacks on defenseless citizens of Pakistan by India’s terrorist proxies are extremely condemnable.”
Local media reports indicate that Jumaat Ul Ahrar, a faction of the Pakistani Taliban (TTP), has taken responsibility for the assault. However, two journalists in the area informed the BBC that the TTP’s central command communicated with them to assert it has no association with the blast.
Instances of suicide bombings in Islamabad have been infrequent in recent years. Videos captured from the site on Tuesday revealed the remnants of a burned vehicle and a police perimeter established.
Naqvi stated that the 27 wounded individuals are currently receiving medical attention.
He further noted that the bomber detonated the explosive near a police vehicle after lingering for up to 15 minutes.
Aftermath footage depicted smoke rising from a scorched car positioned behind a security barrier. The explosion occurred at 12:39 local time (07:39 GMT).
President Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan expressed strong condemnation of the suicide blast.
A lawyer who claimed to be parking outside the courthouse during the incident described hearing a “loud explosion.”
Rustam Malik shared with AFP that “it was utter chaos.”
“Lawyers and civilians were fleeing into the complex,” he continued. “I saw two bodies at the gate and multiple vehicles ablaze.”
In a different occurrence on Monday, a car detonated in Delhi, India’s capital, leaving eight dead and several injured.
The Indian government has not labeled the incident as a terror attack, though the matter has been forwarded to the country’s anti-terror agency.
Following the incident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated: “The orchestrators of this despicable act will face consequences. All who are accountable will be held responsible, irrespective of how extensive the conspiracy is.”
However, no official information has been disclosed regarding the cause of the explosion.
The last known suicide bombing targeting Pakistan’s capital occurred three years ago, resulting in the death of a police officer and injuries to several others.
There have been suicide attacks in other regions of the country in the intervening years, but not within Islamabad.
