Suicide Attack in Islamabad Court: Eleven Dead

Two suicide bombers blew themselves up inside a court complex in Islamabad on Monday killing eleven people and injuring dozens. The incident took place two days after the Pakistani Taliban declared unilateral ceasefire which was reciprocated by the Pakistani Government by suspending air strikes against the Taliban.

An additional session Judge Rafaqat Awan was also among those dead, Pakistani media reported. The blasts were followed by firing, leaving the lawyers running for their lives. Reports from eyewitnesses say that the gunmen walked into the court complex, lobbing grenades randomly. They started firing indiscriminately for fifteen minutes, killing many on the spot. Many were injured, and rushed to nearby hospitals. When cornered, the bombers detonated. Inspector General of Police Sikandar Hayat told the reporters that it was a suicide attack. He said that the security forces cordoned off the area and Special Forces deployed in court.

The government sponsored air strikes on Taliban hideouts were launched last month in Waziristan and Khyber regions that killed dozens of militants. The government crackdown came after an increase in the militant attacks. Pakistan has been in the grip of Taliban insurgency since 2007, in which thousands have been killed. But rarely has the capital city of Islamabad been the target.

Infoeditor