In a major development in the Islamabad suicide blast investigation, sources have revealed that the attacker had initially attempted to target the Faizabad checkpoint but failed to detonate his explosives. According to investigators, the bomber reached Faizabad days before the deadly attack but was unable to pull the pin on his suicide vest, forcing him to abandon the attempt and return to Rawalpindi.
He later carried out the attack at the Islamabad Judicial Complex, where the explosion killed 12 people and injured at least 36, including lawyers and petitioners. The blast also sparked fires, damaged vehicles and led to the suspension of court proceedings. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi confirmed that the attacker detonated the explosive device near a police vehicle after failing to enter the courthouse premises.
A preliminary police report states the bomber arrived in Islamabad last Friday and travelled to the court from Pirwadhai on a motorcycle. The incident marks the capital’s first suicide bombing in nearly three years, the last one occurring in December 2022—raising serious concerns amid major international events being hosted in Islamabad at the time.
TTP/FAK Cell Behind Attack, Four Arrested
The federal government later announced the arrest of four members of a Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan / Fitna al-Khawarij (TTP/FAK) cell allegedly involved in planning and facilitating the attack.
According to the official statement, the suicide bomber—identified as Usman alias Qari, a resident of Achin, Nangarhar, Afghanistan—was handled by Sajidullah alias Sheena. Sheena confessed that TTP/FAK Commander Saeed-ur-Rehman alias Daadullah, currently based in Afghanistan and serving as TTP’s intelligence chief for Nawagai, Bajaur, contacted him via Telegram to carry out a high-casualty attack targeting law enforcement agencies in Islamabad.
Investigators say Daadullah sent the bomber’s photographs to Sheena to identify him upon arrival. After entering Pakistan from Afghanistan, the bomber was provided shelter near Islamabad. Sheena collected the suicide jacket from Akhun Baba graveyard in Peshawar under Daadullah’s instructions and later fitted it on the bomber before the attack at the Judicial Complex.
Rising Tensions with Afghanistan
The attack occurred at a time of heightened tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan over cross-border militancy, which recently led to heated exchanges and clashes along the border.
Just a day before the Islamabad blast, militants infiltrated Wana Cadet College, prompting a swift security operation that safely evacuated all students and staff while eliminating the attackers.
Following the suicide bombing and the Wana incident, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif issued a stern warning, stating Pakistan may consider strikes inside Afghanistan if militant activities continue, accusing the Afghan Taliban of harbouring groups responsible for recent violence.
