Deadly blast hits Islamabad court, killing 12 and injuring dozens

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
Today 14:34

A powerful explosion outside Islamabad's district court killed at least 12 people and wounded more than 20, prompting a major security investigation into the capital’s latest attack.

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Pakistani investigators examine a damage car at the site of a suicide bombing outside the gates of a district court, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahsan Shahzad)

At least 12 people were killed and more than 20 others wounded on Tuesday after an explosion ripped through the entrance of the Islamabad district court, marking one of the most serious security breaches in Pakistan’s capital in recent years.

The blast occurred at the main gate of the courthouse, a dense corridor typically crowded with lawyers, defendants, and citizens waiting for hearings. Several of the wounded remain in critical condition.

اسلام آباد جوڈیشل کمپلیکس سے افسوسناک مناظر، دھماکے میں اموات کا بھی خدشہ۔۔!! pic.twitter.com/5LMxb8mRnC
— Faisal Tarar (@FaisalTararSpks) November 11, 2025

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said the attacker attempted to enter the compound on foot but was prevented from doing so. The suspect then detonated explosives near a police vehicle stationed outside the gate. Authorities have cordoned off the site and mobilized emergency response teams.

Police confirmed the investigation is still in its preliminary stage. "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," a police spokesperson said.

Forensic technicians and counterterrorism units are combing the area, collecting debris and examining shrapnel patterns to determine the nature of the device.

Graphic images circulated by Pakistani media showed bloodied victims lying beside a damaged police van, though these photographs have not yet been independently authenticated.

Interior Mohsin Naqvi says identity of the suicide bomber not known. At least 12 martyred, over two dozen injured in Islamabad suicide blast. pic.twitter.com/CY1uoxQObK
— Murtaza Ali Shah (@MurtazaViews) November 11, 2025

Capital Breach

No group has claimed responsibility so far, but security officials noted that armed organizations such as Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have carried out similar attacks targeting state institutions.

Naqvi said the location of the bombing raises urgent questions about security lapses in the capital. “We are investigating this incident from different angles. It is not just another bombing. It happened right in Islamabad,” he stated.

The explosion has prompted heightened security measures across key government and judicial facilities in the city, as authorities warn of potential follow-up attacks.