Emergency sirens rang through the city as rescue workers rushed the injured to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, and doctors confirmed the death toll could rise, AFP news agency reported.
Security officials told reporters the explosion appeared to be the work of a suicide bomber who detonated his explosives after passing through a security checkpoint in the busy judicial precinct. Forensic teams then cordoned off the area and searched the rubble for evidence.
President Asif Ali Zardari condemned what he called a “despicable act of terrorism” and vowed that those behind the attack “will not escape justice.”
Immediately after the blast, Pakistan’s Taliban (also known as Tehreek Taliban Pakistan (TTP)) claimed responsibility for the blast, saying it was a response to ongoing government security operations in the northwest.
Master’s degree/PR