12 killed in suicide bombing near Islamabad court

Pakistani authorities announced on Tuesday that at least 12 people were killed in a suicide bombing outside a courthouse in the capital, Islamabad, in the deadliest attack in months.

The Interior Minister said the explosion occurred at the entrance to the courthouse, located in a residential area, setting cars ablaze and causing casualties among civilians and lawyers. AFP quoted lawyer Restam Malik as saying he heard the explosion as soon as he entered the compound, while witnesses confirmed that chaos ensued and that several vehicles were ablaze in front of the gate.

In a separate incident, Pakistani security forces thwarted an attempt by militants from the Pakistani – Taliban to kidnap students from a military college in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in the northwest of the country.

Local police chief Alamgir Mehsud explained that the attack began on Monday evening when a suicide bomber detonated a car bomb at the college gate in Wana, before five other gunmen stormed the premises. He confirmed that security forces killed two of the attackers immediately, while three were trapped inside an administrative building, noting that all students and teachers were safe.

Mehsud added that the bombing injured 16 civilians and damaged dozens of nearby homes, noting that a number of soldiers were also wounded during the clashes.

The Pakistani military issued a statement confirming that the attack was carried out by members of the Pakistani – Taliban Movement, which is designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the United Nations.

J.J