Islamabad, Pakistan — A devastating suicide bombing outside a district court in Islamabad on Tuesday has left 12 people dead and at least 27 injured, marking one of the deadliest attacks in Pakistan’s capital in recent years. The explosion occurred near the court’s main gate when the attacker detonated explosives beside a police vehicle, authorities confirmed.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said the attacker attempted to enter the court premises but, after being stopped, detonated the explosives outside. “It was a suicide attack,” Naqvi told reporters, confirming that investigators recovered the severed head of the bomber at the scene. Earlier reports had described the incident as a possible car bombing.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, though Pakistan has seen a surge in militant violence linked to the Pakistani Taliban (Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP) and affiliated groups operating near the Afghan border. A spokesperson for the TTP, however, denied any involvement.
Witnesses described scenes of panic and chaos following the blast, which could be heard across the city. “People started running in all directions,” said Mohammad Afzal, who was at the court for a hearing. Many of the victims were bystanders and court visitors.
Minister Naqvi alleged that the attack was “carried out by Indian-backed elements and Afghan Taliban proxies” linked to the Pakistani Taliban, though he added that authorities are “looking into all aspects” of the explosion.
Police quickly sealed off the area, as smoke and debris covered the streets around the court complex. Ambulances rushed to the scene, carrying the wounded to nearby hospitals.
In a separate overnight incident, Pakistani security forces foiled an attack on an army-run college in Wana, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province near the Afghan border. Six militants, including a suicide bomber, attempted to storm the facility late Monday night. Troops repelled the assault after a prolonged exchange of gunfire, which lasted more than 20 hours. Two attackers were killed immediately, while three others were cornered inside the administrative block of the compound.
The Pakistani Taliban, which has ties to the Afghan Taliban, was initially blamed for the assault but also denied involvement in the Wana attack. Authorities said the militants appeared to be attempting a hostage situation similar to the 2014 Peshawar school massacre, in which 154 people, mostly children, were killed by a TTP faction.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned both attacks, calling them “heinous and cowardly acts” and vowed that those responsible would be held accountable. “We will ensure the perpetrators are apprehended and brought to justice,” he said in a statement. “We will not allow the blood of innocent Pakistanis to go to waste.”
Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif accused the Taliban government in Afghanistan of allowing Pakistani Taliban militants to operate from its soil, describing the attacks as “a message from Kabul.” He warned that Pakistan “has the strength to respond fully” if such incidents continue.
Pakistan has outlawed the TTP, which is also listed as a terrorist organization by both the United States and the United Nations. However, the group’s strength has grown since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, with many of its leaders believed to be sheltering across the border.
The bombing comes amid strained Pakistan–Afghanistan relations, with recent cross-border clashes and faltering peace talks. Although a ceasefire brokered by Qatar in October remains technically in effect, two rounds of discussions in Istanbul have failed to produce any lasting agreement.
As rescue teams continue to clear the site of the blast, Islamabad remains on high alert. Authorities have tightened security across major cities, warning that further attacks could follow amid the ongoing regional instability.