Police officers and ambulances on road cordoned off after a blast outside a court building in Islamabad
Credit: Reuters Photo
At least 12 people were killed and several injured in a suicide blast outside court in Islamabad, as reported by several news channels.
The explosion was reported near a district and sessions court in the G-11 area, according to reports.
The rescue authorities have retrieved 12 bodies, state run Pakistan Television (PTV) reported.
"The bodies of 12 individuals killed in the blast have been transferred to PIMS (Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences) Hospital,” it said on X.
It added that 20 injured individuals have been shifted to the emergency department of the PIMS Hospital.
PTV further reported that it was a suicide bombing. “The suicide bomber's head was found lying on the road,” it reported.
No group or individual claimed responsibility for the blast, but the attack came days after the third round of talks between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban failed to reach any agreement to tackle the issue of terrorism emanating from Afghanistan.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi visited the site of the blast and vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice.
A police spokesperson said that the probe is under way.
"We are probing what kind of blast it was. It is not clear yet. We will be able to provide more details after we get a report from our forensic team," he said, as reported by Reuters.
(With PTI and Reuters inputs)