India declared an explosion that killed 12 people in New Delhi a "terrorist incident" on Wednesday, as it traded blame with Pakistan over blasts that rocked both countries' capitals within 24 hours.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired an Indian cabinet meeting at which ministers condemned a "dastardly and cowardly act" they said was "perpetrated by anti-national forces" near the Red Fort in the capital. Officials had previously held back from giving a cause of the blast.
The office of Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif meanwhile accused India of backing terrorist attacks on his country from Afghan territory, and described Tuesday’s bombing in Islamabad as one of the “worst examples of Indian state-sponsored terrorism in the region”.
An India’s Foreign Ministry representative said Pakistan's allegations were “baseless and unfounded”. The exchange of blame has heightened fears of renewed hostilities between the neighbouring countries.
A breakaway faction of the Pakistani Taliban, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing at a district court in Islamabad.
Meanwhile, Indian police are investigating the explosion in Delhi on Monday under anti-terrorism laws, with Mr Modi describing it as a "conspiracy" and vowing to bring those responsible to justice.
At least two men have been arrested in connection with the blast. Police believe the suspects have links with Jaish-e-Mohammed, a Pakistan-based militant group that India has repeatedly accused of carrying out attacks on its soil.
The death toll from the car blast near the historic Red Fort is 12, a hospital official told AFP on Wednesday.
The attack was the most significant security incident since April 22, when 26 mainly Hindu civilians were killed in Pahalgam, a Himalayan summer resort in Indian-administered Kashmir. India launched strikes on alleged militant bases in Pakistan in response, leading to four days of clashes between the countries. New Delhi has said any act of terrorism by Pakistan-linked groups will be considered an act of war.
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Forensic experts examine a car after a suicide bombing outside the district court in Islamabad. AFP -
Damaged vehicles close to the court building are examined for clues. AFP -
Rescue workers searching for dead and survivors move a stretcher outside the court building in Islamabad. Reuters -
A firefighter douses the wreck of a car with water as forensic officials examine the area outside the court in Islamabad for clues. Reuters -
Pakistan's Federal Minister of the Interior Mohsin Naqvi visits the site to assess the investigation. AFP -
Security officials examine damaged vehicles. AP -
Soldiers take up guard positions at the courthouse in Islamabad in anticipation of a militant threat. AP
At least 12 people were killed in the suicide bombing outside court buildings in Islamabad, the country's Interior Minister said.
The attacker tried to enter the court premises, "but, failing to do so, targeted a police vehicle”, said Mohsin Naqvi. The area is typically crowded with hundreds of people attending hearings.
The district court remained closed on Wednesday while security was stepped up at other court buildings across the city, and long queues of vehicles formed at checkpoints.
"It was a very powerful explosion," said Muhammad Imran, a 42-year-old police official who was wounded in the attack. "It was a very sudden bang, and I felt like someone had thrown me to the ground," he told AFP.
Earlier on Tuesday, Pakistani security personnel said they foiled an attempt by militants to take cadets hostage at an army-run college, which was attacked by a car bomber and five other people overnight.
The authorities blamed the Pakistani Taliban – which is separate from but allied with Afghanistan’s Taliban – but the group denied involvement in that attack on Monday evening.
According to the military, the assailants wanted to repeat what happened during a 2014 attack when Taliban gunmen killed 154 people, mostly children, at an army-run school in Peshawar.
The Pakistani Taliban have become emboldened since the Taliban seized power in Kabul in 2021, and many of the group's leaders and fighters are believed to have taken refuge in Afghanistan.
Pakistan has accused Afghanistan of harbouring militants who carry out attacks in border areas, a claim Kabul denies.
The two countries agreed to a ceasefire last month after more than a week of fighting that killed dozens of people and injured hundreds. The violence constitutes the deadliest crisis between the two countries in several years.
