A suicide attack outside a court in Pakistan's capital Islamabad has killed 12 people and injured at least 27 others, the country's interior minister said.
Mohsin Naqvi reported that a bomber was planning to target the district courthouse but was unable to gain entry. He also emphasized that identifying the bomber is a priority for authorities, and those responsible will face justice.
Amid the turmoil, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif alleged that extremist groups actively backed by India were involved in the incident. In response, a spokesperson for the Indian government dismissed these claims as baseless and unfounded.
Local media has attributed the responsibility for the bombing to Jumaat Ul Ahrar, a splinter group of the Pakistani Taliban (TTP). However, conflicting statements from local journalists suggest that the TTP's main leadership has denied involvement.
Suicide blasts in Islamabad have been relatively rare in recent years, making this incident particularly shocking. Eyewitness accounts describe a scene of chaos, with one lawyer recounting the terror of hearing a loud bang followed by people scrambling for safety.
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the bombing, and surveillance footage depicts a burned-out vehicle and destruction in the aftermath of the explosion, which occurred at 12:39 local time (07:39 GMT).
In a related note, a separate car explosion in India's capital Delhi resulted in eight fatalities, further escalating tensions in the region. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed that the perpetrators would face justice.
