Terror Returns to Pakistan’s Capital: Suicide Bomber Kills 12 at Islamabad District Court

A devastating suicide bombing tore through the heart of Islamabad on Tuesday afternoon when a vehicle packed with explosives detonated right outside the main entrance of the district court complex at 12:30 pm, killing at least 12 people — mostly lawyers — and wounding more than 20 others in a chilling reminder that terror has once again struck Pakistan’s heavily guarded capital.

Eyewitnesses described scenes of absolute carnage as the massive blast, believed to have been triggered by a gas cylinder converted into a deadly bomb, turned parked cars into fireballs and hurled body parts across the court premises. “I had just parked and walked ten steps when the explosion happened. Two bodies were lying at the gate, cars were burning everywhere,” said lawyer Rustam Malik, still in shock. The explosion was so powerful that it rattled windows six kilometres away and sent thick black smoke billowing over the city.

Police and rescue teams rushed to the site as panicked lawyers and court staff ran for their lives, many covered in blood. Several nearby vehicles were completely gutted, and the court’s entrance gate was mangled beyond recognition. Preliminary investigations strongly indicate it was a targeted suicide attack aimed at maximum civilian casualties during peak court hours, with senior officials confirming the bomber deliberately chose the location to inflict terror on the legal community.

Also Read: Faridabad on High Alert! Haryana Police Launch Massive Search Drive

The Islamabad atrocity comes just 24 hours after a car bomb killed 10 near Delhi’s Red Fort and only hours after Pakistani forces neutralised two TTP terrorists attempting to storm Cadet College Wana in South Waziristan. Security sources fear the court bombing may be the beginning of a new coordinated terror wave by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), whose attacks have surged since the Afghan Taliban’s return to power in 2021.

With Pakistan already on edge after yesterday’s busting of a Jaish-e-Mohammed and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind module that seized nearly three tonnes of IED material, authorities have sounded a nationwide high alert. As investigators scour the wreckage for clues about the suicide bomber’s identity and handlers, one thing is brutally clear: despite years of military operations, the monster of terrorism is roaring back to life in Pakistan’s cities.

Also Read: #JustIn: J&K Police Uncover Massive Terror Cache in Faridabad Linked to Jaish Operative