A suicide blast in Pakistan's capital of Islamabad on Friday left one police officer dead and several police forces injured near an area with a market, university, and government office.

Pakistan's ARY News stated that an explosion was reported in Islamabad’s I-10 sector after which an anti-terror force was immediately deployed to the area. Al Mayadeen correspondent in Islamabad confirmed the explosion and reported that the driver of the car bomb that was detonated was killed.

Breaking News: Blast in a suspected cab in #Islamabad’s I-10/4 Sector, leaves 4 policemen hurt. Police was chasing the suspected cab and the blast occurred when was stopped for checking. 3 suspects were reportedly inside the cab. #IslamabadBlast pic.twitter.com/40reDxCVoT

— Islamabad Updates (@IslamabadViews) December 23, 2022

Sources said that a police officer named Adeel stopped a taxi that looked suspicious and attempted to arrest the suspect in it. A motive for the blast is yet to be determined.

The Islamabad Police posted in a tweet, "Due to bomb blast incident, diversions placed for both sides of traffic at Service Road East of I-10/4." 

Traffic Advisory!
Due to bomb blast incident, diversions placed for both sides of traffic at Service Road East of I-10/4.

Citizens are advised to use Service Road West of I-10/4 as alternate.#ICTP #ITP

— Islamabad Police (@ICT_Police) December 23, 2022

Deputy Inspector General of Police Sohail Zafar Chattha was quoted by The Dawn as saying, "A vehicle with a man and a woman aboard was spotted by the police at 10:15 am near I-10/4. The officers sought to search the vehicle after they found it suspicious. The couple came out of the car and the man, while being checked by the officers, went inside the vehicle again on some pretext and detonated himself. A police officer of the Eagle Squad was killed and four others were injured."

Later in the day, the Pakistan Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, the first in the city for years.

This comes after a similar incident targeting police occurred in November in the city of Quetta, killing three people and wounding 28. 

The explosion, claimed by the Pakistani Taliban militant group, or Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, in a text message to Reuters, came after the group ended a ceasefire with the Pakistani government.

Just last week, three people were killed and five others were injured in a blast on Datta Khel road in North Waziristan’s Miranshah, Pakistani media reported.

The media suggested that a suspected suicide bomber blew himself up. Following the bombing, police cordoned off the area, medical teams transferred the victims to the hospital, and security forces launched a search operation.