The ISPR identified martyred soldiers as 33-year-old Lance Havaldar Zubair Qadir from Pakpatan, 21-year-old Sepoy Uzair Asfar from Haripur and 22-year-old Sepoy Qasim Maqsood from Multan.

The children were identified as 11-year-old Ahmed Hassan age, eight-year-old Ahsan and four-year-old Anum.

“Intelligence agencies are investigating to find out about [the] suicide bomber and his handlers,” read the ISPR statement.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed sorrow over the martyrdom of the soldiers and the children. He tweeted: “Blood of our soldiers & citizens is a debt on us that we will repay by eradicating terrorism from our country.”

PM Shehbaz also extended condolences to the bereaved families.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb in a statement condemned the suicide blast, reported Radio Pakistan.

She said miscreants wanted to destabilize law and order in the country but such cowardly acts could not discourage nation.

“Sacrifices of security personnel for restoration of law and order in the country will not go in vain,” she was quoted as saying in the report. She also extended condolences to families of the security personnel and children.

In April, four soldiers were martyred in separate incidents of gun battle with terrorists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s South Waziristan and North Waziristan districts.