ISLAMABAD — At least 12 people were killed in a suicide bombing outside the District Judicial Complex in the Pakistani capital Islamabad on Tuesday, the country's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said.

"The incident happened at 12:39 pm when the attacker tried to enter the court premises to cause mass casualties, but detonated himself outside the building upon failing to enter it," he said on Tuesday.

The minister said initial evidence suggested possible links between the bombing and a recent attack in the country's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province.

"We are linking this blast with a lot of things, and in the coming hours or days, we will be very clear about it. Identifying the attacker is our top priority. Whoever is involved, whether locals or foreigners, will not be spared," he said.

According to a Xinhua report, the banned militant group Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, claimed the attack, warning it would carry out more such assaults in the future.

However according to The Associated Press, the TTP denied its involvement, while a breakaway faction, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, claimed responsibility only to have one of its commanders later contradict that claim.

Police and rescue officials said the blast caused damage to nearby vehicles and spread panic among bystanders.

Forensic teams and police were combing through debris on Wednesday at the site of the blast, which had been sealed to preserve evidence. Across the city, grief-stricken relatives were receiving the bodies of their slain loved ones at an Islamabad hospital.

The Islamabad Bar Council condemned the attack, announcing a three-day strike and calling for stronger security measures to protect the legal community and citizens.

The country's President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the attack, describing it as a "cowardly act of terrorism orchestrated by terrorist networks".

Both leaders expressed condolences to the families of the victims and directed authorities to ensure a swift investigation and enhanced security in the capital.

Islamabad says the Pakistani Taliban and other militants are based in Afghanistan, with the support of India.

The Taliban administration in Kabul said in a statement that it "expresses its deep sorrow and condemnation" of the attacks. A spokesman did not respond to a request for comment on Pakistan's accusations. Kabul denied that its territory is being used for attacks on other countries.

New Delhi rejected the accusations as baseless.

Xinhua - Agencies