RAWALPINDI: At least 13 people including five security personnel were killed and 29 others injured after a suicide bomber exploded himself at R.A Bazar here on Monday morning.

According to police sources, the attacker (16-18), who was under the guise of garbage-collector exploded himself while riding a bicycle when security personnel stopped him at a check post near the Bazaar's main crossing at Mehmood-ul-Hassan road.

The injured were rushed to different hospitals including Military Hospital and DHQ Hospital.

The Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) Operations said a full-scale relief and rescue operation was conducted after the blast in which ambulances of Rescue-1122, Edhi, Allied Hospitals, CMH, MH participated.

Four dead were shifted to the District Headquarters Rawalpindi (DHQ) while other victims were transported to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH), Military Hospital (MH) and the Rawalpindi Cantonment Hospital.

Emergency was declared in all the major hospitals to extend all possible medical care to the victims of the attack.

Soon after the blast the security agencies including the Rapid Response Force immediately cordoned off the blast site and no one was allowed to move in or out of the area of the blast.

Those lost their lives identified as Muhammad Asghar, Muhammad Akram, Anwar, Abid, Rahsid, Zubair Latif, Muhammad Sidique, Imran and two students including Mubashar Mushtaq (19).

Out of total 29 injured, 20 persons namely Abdul Rehman, Amir, Raza Masood, Aqeel, Rafiullah, Javed, Shehla Bibi, Afzaal Abbas, Nasir, Nafees, Mansoor, Shaheen, Jaffar Hussain, Zafar Iqbal, Nasir Raza, Nadeem, Ghazanfar, Yousaf and Guldaraz were shifted to CMH. Four injured Tariq, Muhammad Bilal, Muhammad Rafiq and Tahir were brought to the MH.

While, two injured Hassan Raza and Muhammad Khaliq were rushed to the DHQ and two victims Rehmatullah and Tayyab Khan were shifted to the Cantonment Hospital.

Meanwhile, District Coordination Officer (DCO) Sajid Zafar visited the DHQ and other hospitals and directed to the authorities concerned to extend all possible treatment to victims of the tragic incident.

Talking to APP, the DCO said a preliminary inquiry report on the suicide attack has been sent to Chief Minister Punjab Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif.

According to official sources, following the incident, police arrested two suspects.

SOURCE: APP