In brief
A suicide bombing outside a court in Islamabad has led to the deaths of 12 individuals and left at least 27 more injured, as confirmed by Pakistan’s interior minister, Mohsin Naqvi. The assailant detonated explosives near a police vehicle after waiting approximately 15 minutes. Pakistani leaders, including President Asif Ali Zardari, condemned the attack, which is notably rare in recent years. Eyewitness accounts describe a scene of chaos and devastation.
A suicide attack outside a court in Pakistan's capital Islamabad has killed 12 people and injured at least 27 more, the country's interior minister said. Mohsin Naqvi said a bomber was planning to attack the district courthouse - but was unable to get inside. He stated that authorities would prioritize identifying the bomber, and that those involved would be brought to justice.Suicide blasts in Islamabad have been rare in recent years. Footage from the scene on Tuesday showed the remains of a burnt-out car and a police cordon in place. The 27 people injured are receiving medical treatment, Naqvi added. The attacker detonated the bomb close to a police car after waiting for up to 15 minutes. Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari strongly condemned the suicide blast. Meanwhile, a lawyer who was parking his car outside the court during the attack described hearing a 'loud bang'. Rustam Malik told AFP news agency, 'it was complete chaos.' He recounted, 'Lawyers and people were running inside the complex. I saw two dead bodies lying on the gate and several cars were on fire.'
