Suicide Attack in Islamabad: 12 Killed, 27 Injured — Pakistan Links Incident to Afghan-Based Militants

Islamabad Pakistan. Muhammad.Saleem 

  At least 12 people were killed and 27 others injured in a suicide bombing in Islamabad on Tuesday, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi confirmed during a media briefing. The attack occurred at 12:39 p.m. when a suicide bomber detonated explosives near a police vehicle after failing to enter the city’s district courts (katcheri).

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed authorities to ensure the immediate medical treatment of the injured, while the Ministry of Interior and security agencies have launched a high-level investigation into the incident.

According to Mohsin Naqvi, initial findings suggest that the attacker had planned to enter the court premises but, after being denied access, targeted the police vehicle instead. “Our first priority is to identify the suicide bomber and expose all those involved in this attack,” the minister said.

Naqvi also linked the Islamabad explosion to another suicide attack in Wana a day earlier, where a vehicle-borne bomber blew himself up at an entry point. He stated that security forces are still carrying out a clearance operation in that region.

The minister alleged that militant elements in Afghanistan were involved in the Wana attack, saying that communication between those behind the blasts took place across the border. “We have shared evidence with Afghan authorities, showing how individuals are being trained there and then sent to carry out attacks in Pakistan,” he said, adding that Pakistan “will have no choice but to take measures” if such cross-border threats continue.

Security agencies are now focusing on tracing the network behind both incidents, as the government faces mounting pressure to contain the resurgence of terrorism in the country’s northwest, often linked to Afghanistan-based groups.

Authorities have raised security alerts across key cities, with counter-terrorism teams and intelligence units deployed to prevent potential follow-up attacks.