Key points
- Investigation reveals the bomber was facilitated by a TTP/FAK cell, with handlers coordinating via Telegram
- Authorities arrested four members of the TTP/FAK network, including the handler who assisted the bomber
ISLAMABAD: Investigators in Pakistan have revealed that the suicide bomber behind the recent deadly attack at Islamabad’s Judicial Complex had previously attempted to target the Faizabad checkpoint but failed to detonate his explosives, according to official sources.
Investigators probing the bomber’s handler and facilitator discovered that the attacker had initially reached the Faizabad- a major and often overcrowded interchange located between the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi- checkpoint but was unable to pull the pin on his explosive device. He then returned to Rawalpindi and later carried out the attack at the Judicial Complex.
The explosion at the Judicial Complex killed 12 people and wounded at least 36 others, including lawyers and petitioners, prompting the suspension of court proceedings. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi stated that the bomber detonated the device near a police vehicle after failing to enter the courthouse.
Police said the blast ignited nearby cars and scattered debris across the area. An investigative report indicated that the bomber arrived in Islamabad last Friday and travelled to the court from the Pirwadhai area on a motorcycle.
The attack marks Islamabad’s first suicide bombing in nearly three years, the last occurring in December 2022. It took place at a time when the capital was hosting major international events, including the Inter-Parliamentary Speakers’ Conference and the sixth Margalla Dialogue.
Arrests Linked to TTP/FAK Cell
The federal government has since announced the arrest of four members of a Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan/Fitna al-Khawarij (TTP/FAK) cell connected to the bombing.
According to Geo TV quoting an official statement, the bomber’s handler—Sajidullah, known as Sheena—confessed that TTP/FAK Commander Saeed-ur-Rehman, alias Daadullah (based in Afghanistan and serving as the group’s intelligence chief for Nawagai, Bajaur), instructed him via the Telegram messaging app to facilitate a suicide attack in Islamabad aimed at causing maximum casualties among law enforcement personnel.
Daadullah also sent Sheena photographs of the suicide bomber, identified as Usman alias Qari, a member of the Shinwari tribe from Achin, Nangarhar, Afghanistan. After Qari crossed into Pakistan, Sheena arranged accommodation for him near Islamabad.
Following Daadullah’s orders, Sheena retrieved a suicide vest from a graveyard in Peshawar and transported it to Islamabad. On the day of the attack, he reportedly helped the bomber put on the device before the explosion occurred at the Judicial Complex.
Rising Pakistan–Afghanistan Tensions
The attack comes amid escalating tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan over cross-border militancy, which recently resulted in armed clashes along the frontier.
One day before the Islamabad explosion, militants infiltrated Wana Cadet College in South Waziristan. Security forces conducted an operation, safely evacuating all students and staff and killing the attackers who had taken shelter inside the facility.
In response to the recent wave of violence, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif warned that Pakistan may conduct strikes inside Afghanistan, accusing the Afghan Taliban authorities of providing sanctuary to militant groups involved in attacks on Pakistani soil.
Since the Taliban’s takeover in Afghanistan in 2021, Pakistan has faced a sharp rise in militant attacks launched from Afghan territory.
Analysts say the TTP has rebuilt and expanded its operational infrastructure under Taliban protection, directing attacks against civilians, security forces, and border posts across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
Security experts warn that the Taliban’s continued sheltering of TTP and other anti-Pakistan militants risks plunging the region into a new cycle of instability. Islamabad, they add, is running out of patience after repeated diplomatic efforts failed to persuade Kabul to curb cross-border terrorism.
