A suicide bomber detonated explosives outside a district court in Islamabad on Tuesday, killing at least 12 people and wounding 27 others, in what officials described as one of the deadliest attacks in Pakistan’s capital in years.
According to The Associated Press, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said the attacker “tried to enter the court premises but, failing to do so, targeted a police vehicle.” Witnesses said the explosion sent panic through the crowded area, scattering hundreds of people who had gathered for court hearings. “People started running in all directions,” said Mohammad Afzal, who was at the court when the blast hit.
Naqvi confirmed that a severed head found near the site belonged to the bomber, whose image was later identified on CCTV footage.
Early reports suggested a car bomb had caused the blast, but officials later confirmed it was a suicide attack. Naqvi alleged that the explosion was “carried out by Indian-backed elements and Afghan Taliban proxies” connected to the Pakistani Taliban, though he added that authorities were “looking into all aspects” of the case.
A breakaway faction of the Pakistani Taliban, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, initially claimed responsibility but later denied involvement, highlighting divisions among the militant networks. The group, which split from the TTP in 2022, has carried out smaller-scale operations in recent years but rarely targeted the capital.
The attack drew condemnation from across the world, including the United States, China, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey. Police cordoned off the area around the court as ambulances ferried the wounded to nearby hospitals. Most of the victims were civilians caught near the blast site.
The bombing came just hours after militants attempted to storm an army-run college in Wana, a city near the Afghan border. A suicide car bomber and five gunmen attacked the school late Monday, but security forces killed several of the assailants before they reached the cadet dormitories. Authorities blamed the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) for the assault, though the group denied involvement in both incidents.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the twin attacks and vowed accountability. “We will ensure the perpetrators are apprehended and held accountable,” he said. “We will not allow the blood of innocent Pakistanis to go to waste.”
Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif said Pakistan is “in a state of war,” accusing the Taliban-led government in Kabul of harboring militants. “Afghanistan can act to stop terrorism in Pakistan, but bringing this war to Islamabad is a message from Kabul,” he warned.
Pakistan has seen a sharp rise in militant violence since the Afghan Taliban’s 2021 takeover, with many TTP fighters believed to have taken refuge across the border. Despite peace talks and brief ceasefires, tensions between the two countries have escalated amid cross-border clashes and failed negotiations.
Tuesday’s bombing underscored the growing instability in Pakistan’s security landscape — and the government’s struggle to contain a resurgent insurgency at home.
