Pakistan: Multiple deaths after blast outside court complex

In Pakistan at least 12 people have been killed following a blast outside a district court building in the capital Islamabad.

"At 12:39 pm (0739 GMT), a suicide attack was carried out at the Kachehri (district courts)... so far 12 people have been martyred and around 27 are wounded," Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi told reporters at the scene of the incident.

Witnesses told AFP news agency that the blast appeared to have taken place near a gate of the court complex.

"As I parked my car and entered the complex... I heard a loud bang," lawyer Rustam Malik told AFP after the blast.

"It was complete chaos, lawyers and people were running inside the complex. I saw two dead bodies lying on the gate and several cars were on fire," Malik said.

More to follow…

Edited by: Wesley Rahn