Islamabad, Pakistan – โขA โsuicide bomber detonated near the Islamabad High Court on Monday, killing at least 12 people and injuring dozens more, pakistani Interior Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq kakar confirmed. The attack underscoresโข a โrecent surge in militant violence within Pakistan, raising concerns about security and regional stability.
The bombing targeted โthe vicinity of the court complex, a busy area in the capital. Authorities have not yet โฃreleased a detailed breakdown of the casualties, but officials report โthat lawyers, โpolice personnel, and civilians โคwere among those killed and wounded.”We will not allow the blood of innocent Pakistanis to go to waste,” stated Prime minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, describing the attack as “reprehensible.”
The Pakistani Taliban, or TTP, has claimed responsibility for the attack, demonstratingโข a resurgence in activity since the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul in 2021. many TTP leaders andโ fighters are believed to โbe sheltering in Afghanistan, fueling tensions between theโ two countries. Pakistan โฃexperiencedโค a devastating school attack in 2014, when Taliban gunmen killedโค 154 people,โ mostlyโฃ children, in Peshawar. According to the military, Monday’s assailants intended toโ replicate โthe 2014 Peshawar attack.
Recent attempts toโ de-escalate tensions through peace talks between Pakistan โand Afghanistanโฃ have stalled. Discussions held in Istanbul, most recently on Thursday, ended without a breakthrough after Kabul โrefused to provideโข written assurances โthat Afghan territory would not be used by the TTP and othre militant groups againstโข Pakistan. A โขprevious ceasefire brokeredโ by Kabul in 2022 also collapsed after accusations โคof violations by Islamabad.
The attack followsโฃ a period of heightenedโ cross-border conflict in October, triggered by Pakistani accusations of drone strikes within Afghanistan. The resulting clashes led to dozens of casualties before a ceasefire was brokered by Qatar on october 19, which currentlyโค remains in effect.