At least 12 people have been killed and 20 injured after a vehicle exploded outside a court building in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, on Tuesday, according to local media reports.
While police initially suggested a gas cylinder explosion, security officials are now investigating the incident as a possible suicide attack.
The blast occurred near Islamabad’s High Court, with emergency services rushing victims to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences Hospital. Defense Minister Khawaja Asif called the explosion a “suicide attack,” linking it to militants based in Afghanistan.
He said the strike was a “wake-up call” and warned that the conflict in Balochistan and along the Afghan border had now reached the heart of Pakistan, vowing the country had the strength to respond. No group has yet claimed responsibility.
