A suicide bomber detonated outside Islamabad’s district court, killing at least 12 people and wounding more than 25 in a rare capital attack.
ISLAMABAD: Charred vehicles and a mangled motorcycle lay outside the district court where a suicide bomber killed at least 12 people.
Blood stained the two-way street as shattered glass glimmered among the debris from Tuesday’s rare assault in Pakistan’s capital.
“It was a very strong and terrifying explosion,” said 24-year-old lawyer Khalid Mandokhel.
He told AFP that many victims were bystanders caught in the blast.
The blue police van struck in the attack stood crippled at the complex entrance with shredded tyres and shrapnel damage.
More than 25 people were wounded in the explosion that rocked the busy legal complex.
Lawyer Rustam Malik said he “heard a loud bang at the gate” while entering the building where hundreds handle daily legal matters.
“There was thick smoke,” Malik recalled of the chaotic scene.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi confirmed the attacker lingered outside for several minutes before detonating.
“He could not go inside the complex; he blew himself up near the police vehicle,” Naqvi told journalists.
The court complex is typically one of Islamabad’s busiest daytime areas with dense crowds from nearby administrative offices.
At the government hospital receiving most victims, rescue workers wheeled people with head and leg injuries into emergency rooms.
Security guards prevented media from entering the medical facility as anxious crowds gathered outside.
Investigators maintained a heavy presence at the cordoned blast site into late afternoon.
Police and paramilitary soldiers combed through wreckage as Malik recalled “complete chaos” after the explosion.
Lawyers and visitors ran in panic as the blast thundered through the compound.
“I saw two dead bodies lying at the gate and several cars were on fire,” Malik said while waiting to collect his damaged vehicle. – AFP
