An explosion outside a district court in Pakistan’s capital killed at least 12 people and wounded several others on Tuesday, according to local media reports, in what is believed to be a car bomb attack.
The blast occurred near the main entrance of the Islamabad District and Sessions Court, an area frequently crowded with lawyers, plaintiffs, and police personnel. The scene quickly descended into chaos, with emergency responders rushing to aid the wounded.
“We are probing what kind of blast it was. It is not clear yet,” a police spokesperson said. “We will be able to provide more details after we get a report from our forensic team.”
Images broadcast by local television showed bodies lying on the ground near a mangled police vehicle, and blood stains marking the pavement around the courthouse compound.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far. Authorities have cordoned off the area and launched an investigation into the incident.
While Islamabad has largely been shielded from the wave of violence that has gripped other parts of Pakistan in recent years, the city has seen a resurgence of attacks in recent months, many of them blamed on the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Tuesday’s bombing adds to growing concerns about security in the capital ahead of national elections scheduled for early next year.
