A day after a suspected terror attack in New Delhi, a suicide blast outside the district courts has rocked the Pakistani federal capital, leaving at least 12 dead and over two dozen injured, including petitioners and lawyers.

 

As per the details, the blast occurred near the main gate of the G 11 Islamabad Courthouse, prompting emergency measures at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS). Emergency services at other hospitals were also activated, and the casualties were transferred from the site by Rescue 1122, private ambulances and police vehicles.

 

A heavy contingent of police personnel also reached the hospital with Islamabad inspector general of police (IGP) and the chief commissioner visiting the site.

 

The nature of the blast was confirmed by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi as a suicide attack.

 

The security czar said the suicide bomber was trying to enter the courthouse but “when he did not get an opportunity, he attacked a police vehicle”.

 

Earlier, police said that the explosion occurred in a car parked outside the court. 

 

While authorities are investigating the incident amid tightened security in surrounding areas, the explosion comes a day after a suspected terror attack near the historic Red Fort in New Delhi on Monday evening.

 

The blast that killed at least eight people and injured 24 others was a rare occurrence in the heavily guarded city of more than 30 million people, sending several states and key facilities into high alert.

 

Indian Home Minister Amit Shah said “all angles” were being investigated and security agencies would come to a conclusion soon.

 

Police said a slow-moving car which stopped at a traffic signal exploded just before 7 pm (1330 GMT). Nearby vehicles were also badly damaged.

 

The explosion left behind mangled bodies and the wreckage of several cars on a congested street near a metro station in the old quarter of Delhi.

 

The explosion is being probed under a stringent law used to fight "terrorism", television channels reported, citing a case registered by the police.

 

The law, called the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, is India's main anti-terrorism law and is used to investigate and prosecute acts related to "terrorism" and activities that threaten the sovereignty and integrity of the country.

 

In the absence of an official word on the nature of the blast, unconfirmed media reports have traced the explosion back to a Muslim man hailing from held Kashmir’s Pulwama area

 

The explosion came hours after 350 kilograms of ammonium nitrate was recovered from Faridabad near Delhi – in widespread crackdown on what officials called a terror network operating within the heart of India.