A suicide bombing struck the crowded entrance area of the district & sessions court complex in the G‑11 sector of Islamabad on Tuesday afternoon, killing at least 12 people and wounding around 27 others, according to senior Pakistani officials.
Reuters
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AP News
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What happened
According to the Mohsin Naqvi, Pakistan’s interior minister, the attacker waited for approximately 10 to 15 minutes outside the court complex after failing to enter, then detonated his explosives near a police vehicle parked at the gate of the judicial building.
Reuters
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The blast occurred at about 12:39 p.m. local time, when the outside area near the court is normally very busy with lawyers, litigants and visitors.
The Tribune
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Images and footage from the site show flames, damaged vehicles, and wounded people being carried away from the scene.
Reuters
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Casualties and immediate impact
The confirmed death toll is at least 12 with the number of injured reported to be in the mid‑to‑high twenties (27 according to one of the sources).
Reuters
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Most of the victims appear to have been civilians—court attendees or people present outside the building—rather than security personnel.
The Washington Post
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Authorities declared an emergency at the nearby medical facility, and ambulances rushed to the scene.
The Tribune
Possible perpetrators and motive
While no group had immediately claimed responsibility at first, Pakistan’s government pointed fingers at cross‑border and proxy elements. Interior Minister Naqvi alleged involvement of “Indian‑backed elements” and proxies of the Tehrik‑e‑Taliban Pakistan (TTP), linked via the Afghan Taliban.
CBS News
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Some reports later cited a claim of responsibility by a break‑away faction of the TTP, Jamaat‑ul‑Ahrar, signalling the increasing capability of militants to strike the heart of Pakistan’s capital.
AP News
Security and political implications
The blast marks one of the deadliest attacks on civilian targets in Islamabad in recent years, heightening concerns about militant reach into urban centres.
The Washington Post
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Khawaja Asif, Pakistan’s defence minister, called the incident a “wake‑up call” and said the country was effectively in a “state of war”.
The Tribune
The location of the attack—outside a key judicial complex in the capital—raises questions about security protocols, particularly in publicly accessible zones where large numbers of people gather.
Wider context
The explosion comes amid a surge in militant and terrorist activity in Pakistan, especially in border‑regions such as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It also parallels a separate overnight attack on an army‑run cadet college in the northwest a day earlier, highlighting the multi‑front security challenges.
AP News
It also amplifies tensions between Pakistan and its neighbours, particularly Afghanistan and India, which Islamabad accuses of harbouring or supporting militant proxies—a claim denied by both Kabul and New Delhi.
Al Jazeera
What happens next
Investigations are underway to identify the bomber and track down the network behind the attack. Authorities have retrieved the attacker’s severed head and are reviewing CCTV footage to piece together his movements.
AP News
Security has been tightened across Islamabad, especially at other court facilities and sensitive government locations. The judiciary and other institutions are assessing measures to prevent similar attacks.
The Tribune
Conclusion
The blast outside Islamabad’s district courts represents a tragic escalation in militant violence in Pakistan’s capital. With at least 12 dead and dozens wounded, the incident underscores the vulnerabilities even in well‑protected urban areas and signals a broader threat not just to security forces but to ordinary civilians. The government’s response in the coming hours and days—both in terms of investigation and tightening of security—will be closely watched, as will regional diplomatic and military reactions to the broader implications of the attack.