At least 40 killed and injured in "suicide bombing" in Pakistan

SadaNews - Twelve people were killed and 27 others were injured in a suicide bomb attack in front of a courthouse in a residential area in Islamabad, according to the Pakistani Interior Minister.

The Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi, told reporters at the scene that "at 12:39 PM, a suicide attack occurred in Kacheri" where the courthouse is located, adding, "So far, 12 people have been martyred, and about 27 have been injured."

He added, "We are trying to determine the identity of the attacker and the location from which he came," noting that "the attacker waited outside the courthouse complex for some time before detonating his explosive device near a police vehicle."

Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic that swept the area following the explosion, which caused damage to several vehicles and led to people fleeing.

Lawyer Rustam Malik said after the explosion, "When I stopped my car and entered the complex... I heard a loud explosion at the gate."

For his part, one witness who spoke to AFP, named Malik, said, "There was total chaos. Lawyers and people rushed into the complex. I saw two bodies at the gate and several cars were on fire."