At least 12 people have been killed in a suicide bombing outside the gates of a court in Pakistan’s capital of Islamabad, the country’s interior minister has said.
At least 27 other people were also wounded after the bomber detonated his explosives next to a police car.
Interior minister Mohsin Naqvi said the attacker tried to “enter the court premises but, failing to do so, targeted a police vehicle”.
Mr Naqvi added that authorities are “looking into all aspects” of the attack.
Pic: Reuters
Pic: AP
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the explosion, but authorities have recently struggled with a resurgent Pakistani Taliban.
The explosion, which was heard from miles away, occurred at a busy time of day when the area outside the court is typically crowded with hundreds of visitors attending hearings.
More than a dozen badly wounded people were screaming for help as ambulances rushed to the scene.
“People started running in all directions,” said Mohammad Afzal, who claimed he was at the court when he heard the blast.
Pic: Reuters
Pic: AP
Pakistani security forces earlier said they foiled an attempt by militants to take cadets hostage at an army-run college overnight, when a suicide car bomber and five other attackers targeted the facility in a northwestern province.
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.
The assault began when a bomber attempted to storm the cadet college in Wana, a city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province near the Afghan border.
The area had, until recent years, served as a base for the Pakistani Taliban, al Qaeda and other foreign militants.
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According to local police chief Alamgir Mahsud, two of the militants were quickly killed by troops while three others managed to enter the compound before being cornered in an administrative block.
The army’s commandos were among the forces conducting a clearance operation, and an intermittent exchange of fire went on into Tuesday, Mr Mahsud said.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif denounced both attacks and said those responsible must be brought to justice swiftly.
“We will ensure the perpetrators are apprehended and held accountable,” he said.
Mr Sharif described attacks on unarmed civilians as “reprehensible”, adding: “We will not allow the blood of innocent Pakistanis to go to waste.”
Police say they have interviewed a man over comments made during punk-rap duo Bob Vylan’s set at Glastonbury.
A man in his mid-30s attended a voluntary interview with officers on Monday, Avon and Somerset Police said.
The outspoken punk duo sparked controversy with their performance at Glastonbury in June, when frontman Bobby Vylan led a chant of “death, death to the IDF” on stage.
Pic: PA
Police said they had consulted the Crown Prosecution Service and received legal advice on the investigation in October.
“It has been important for us to have a full understanding of any legal precedents, which is a complex process, and therefore over the past couple of months we have been seeking early legal advice from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS),” the force said in a statement.
“Following a review of the advice, a voluntary police interview was arranged to help us progress our enquiries… The matter has been recorded as a public order incident while we continue to investigate and consider all relevant legislation.
“Voluntary police interviews are commonly used in investigations where an individual agrees to attend and an arrest is not considered necessary, for example on the grounds of public safety or for the preservation of evidence. Attendees are interviewed under caution and have the same legal rights as anybody who is arrested.”
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Bob Vylan’s set at Glastonbury was live-streamed by the BBC as part of its coverage of the festival, leading to fierce criticism of the corporation.
The BBC’s Executive Complaints Unit has since found the broadcast breached editorial standards related to harm and offence.
However, the unit’s findings cleared the corporation of breaching its guidelines relating to material that is likely to encourage or incite crime.
Following the performance, the BBC issued an apology to viewers, especially the Jewish community, and promised to take action to “ensure proper accountability”.
It also said it would no longer live broadcast “high risk” performances.
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