Italics indicates attacks resulting in more than 40 deaths ‡ indicates attacks resulting in more than 100 deaths Underline indicates the deadliest terrorist attack/s to date
On 11 November 2025, a suicide bomber blew himself up outside of the District Judicial Complex in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, killing 12 people and injuring 36, after attempting to enter the structure.[1][2][3]Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a faction of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing attack.[4] It was the deadliest attack in Islamabad in nearly a decade.[3][5]
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Bombing
At approximately 12:39p.m. local time, a suicide bomber attempted to enter the gates of the court complex in the G-11 sector of Islamabad, located adjacent to the Srinagar highway.[3] According to officials, he waited for approximately 10 to 15 minutes near the entrance after failing to get into the building,[5][6] then detonated the bomb close to an Islamabad Police vehicle parked outside the gates.[1][5][7][8] Footage showed people covered in blood on the ground, with vehicles and windows damaged.[6]
Aftermath
As of 11November2025[update], sources report 12-13 people killed and upwards of 27-35 injured. Victims included passing civilians, some of which were present for court appointments, typically drawings hundreds of visitors.[9][10] Witnesses described ensuing panic, with the blast being heard from miles away.[3][10] A lawyer inside the court's cafeteria said the blast blew him from his chair, believing that "the number of casualties could have been much higher" should the attacker had detonated the explosive inside the courtroom.[3]
More than a dozen individuals were taken away from the scene by ambulances to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences.[9][11] Doctors there claimed the death toll could rise.[11] Police cordoned off the area of the attack shortly after the bombing as plumes of smoke rose from the street.[9][10] Forensics teams searched through debris for further evidence.[11] They found the decapitated head of the attacker, which was found nearby, confirming the nature of the attack.[9] CCTV footage also confirmed the blast came from an attacker.[10]
Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a faction of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claimed responsibility for the attack.[3][4] The TTP itself officially denied involvement in the attack.[3] In a statement, the TTP said, "Judges, lawyers and officials who carried out rulings under Pakistan’s un-Islamic laws were targeted." They said that attacks would continue until the Pakistani government adopts Sharia law.[12]
Response
Experts
Analyst Adam Weinstein of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft noted that the bombing represented one of the first attacks in Islamabad since the resurgence of the insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa starting from 2021. With its added security compared to the northwest, he regarded attacks in the capital as "the ultimate litmus test. If Islamabad isn’t safe, nowhere is."[13]
Domestic
In response, the government condemned the attack, launched an investigation, and said perpetrators would be brought to justice. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif described the attack on unarmed civilians as "reprehensible."[9] Pakistan’s defence minister, Khawaja Asif, declared the country was in a "state of war" following the attack, and described the incident as a "wake-up call."[8][14]
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari described the attack as a "suicide blast" and expressed his condemnation.[9][15] Naqvi stated that the attack was "carried out by Indian-backed elements and Afghan Taliban proxies" linked to the Pakistani Taliban.[9] The official Twitter account of the Pakistani government claimed that the explosion, along with an attack on a cadet college near the Afghanistan–Pakistan border, the day before, were the "worst examples of Indian state terrorism in the region". The post quoted Prime Minister Sharif as saying, "It is time for the world to condemn such nefarious conspiracies of India."[16][3]
International
India
The Indian government unequivocally denied any involvement in the attack, rebutting Pakistani allegations.[17]
Other
Afghanistan: Taliban spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, said that Afghanistan does "not want insecurity in the region, and entering into war is not our first choice." Mujahid added that in case that an escalation occurs, Afghanistan has a "right to defend itself."[8]
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