Nine persons including 5 police officials were killed while over 30 were injured in a suicide blast occurred outside the office of DIG Mardan Akhtar Ali Shah.

The bomb blast occurred when a suicide bomber blew up himself near the convoy of DIG Akhtar Ali Shah who was going outside from his office for some work.

The police officials lost their lives in the blast have been identified as Asif, Akhtar Zada, Tariq, Sher Anwar and driver of DIG named Adil. The other deceased were Zeeshan, Sangeen, Nasir, Hazrat and one unidentified person.

More than 30 people were injured in the blast and 7 of them were in a critical condition when last reports came in.

The injured who were shifted to District Hospital Mardan included Ameen-ul-Haq, Ashfaq, Bacha, Naveed, Safooq Khan, Hamid, Darwaish, Jehanzeb, Sajjad, Abdul Aziz, Manzoor, Zawar, Shah Saeed, Khair Ullah and Police Constable Sardar Hussain.

The injured were shifted to the District Hospital Mardan and Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar immediately after the incident.

A senior police official told that the body parts of suicide bomber have been found. He said that the blast also damaged severely the building of nearby visa office, adding that civilians were also among death and injured as they were present at the visa office at the time of blast.

He said that after the incident, the entire area was cordoned off by the police and the security agencies have started the search of suspected persons. Emergency was also declared in the area.

The incident caused fear and panic among the people and shopkeepers left to their homes after closing their shops.

DIG Mardan Akhtar Ali Shah while talking to media told that he was the target of suicide blast but the police officials foiled the nefarious designs of suicide bomber by sacrificing their lives, adding that the intensity of loss could have been more if the suicide bomber entered inside the office.

He said that the head and leg of the bomber have been found and further investigation is underway, adding that 6 kilogram explosive material was used in the blast.

Responding to a question, the DIG Mardan vowed that the actions against anti state elements would be continued.

Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani have strongly condemned the Mardan suicide blast on the convoy of DIG Mardan.

Advisor to PM on Interior, NWFP Governor Owais Ahmed Ghani, Chief ANP Asfandyar Wali Khan, Chairman and Deputy Chairman Senate, Speaker and Deputy Speaker National Assembly were also among those who condemned the blast.

After the suicide blast, the security in the entire district has been enhanced and special contingents of police have been deputed on all entry and exit points of the district. The search of vehicles entering in the district has also been started.

It is relevant to mention here that it is the second suicide blast in the native village of CM NWFP in five months.