Car blast outside Islamabad court kills 12; suicide attack suspected
What's the story
An explosion occurred outside the district court in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Tuesday afternoon. At least 12 people were reportedly killed and 20 others were injured in the blast, which took place near the court entrance. The majority of the injured are lawyers and judicial workers. The area is usually crowded with litigants and visitors attending hearings. The cause of the explosion is still under investigation. Local media reports, however, suggested that a gas cylinder may have exploded inside the vehicle.
Investigation underway
Some injured in critical condition
A police spokesperson confirmed that some of the injured are in critical condition. "We are probing what kind of blast it was," he said, adding that more details would be available after a report from the forensic team. "It was complete chaos, lawyers and people were running inside the complex. I saw two dead bodies lying on the gate and several cars...on fire," Malik, one of the witnesses, told AFP. The police suspect it to be a suicide attack.
Security update
Pakistani forces foiled militant attack on college
The Islamabad blast comes a day after an explosion involving a car near Red Fort in New Delhi. The incident killed at least 13 people and led to the registration of a case under the stringent UAPA and Explosives Act. The blast in Islamabad also comes after Pakistani forces foiled a militant attack on an army-run college in Wana city, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Reportedly, a suicide car bomber and five other Pakistani Taliban terrorists targeted the facility in an overnight assault.