ISLAMABAD, July 27: The federal capital on Friday braved another day of gore when a suicide bomber penetrated into a contingent of the Punjab Constabulary and blew himself up, killing at least 14 people, including seven policemen, and injuring more than 65.

Twenty of the injured were policemen from PC-Rawat deployed not far from Lal Masjid to reinforce the Capital Territory Police. The injured, many of whom lost their limbs, were taken to different hospitals in Islamabad. Ten of the injured, according to doctors, were in critical condition.

Witnesses said police tried to stop a man in his 20s when they saw him moving about stealthily near the Muzaffargarh Hotel, situated at the corner of the bustling Aabpara market, but he overwhelmed the PC squad and blew himself up. The attack occurred at 5:25pm.

The bomber’s head and torso were found a few yards from the scene. People started running for their lives after the deafening explosion. Windowpanes of nearby shops and residential flats came off. Vehicles parked near the market were damaged.

The blast was heard miles away, causing panic among residents of G-6 who came out of their homes. Some of the people rushed towards the blast site while the others stayed away.

Mohammad Iqbal Noori, an employee of the hotel, told Dawn he was working inside the hotel when the blast occurred.

”I saw blood, body parts and pieces of police uniform scattered over a vast area. People were screaming and there was panic everywhere outside,” he said.

Another witness said: “I heard the mighty blast and came running. A policeman got blown into the air and landed away from the explosion site.”

Shortly after the blast, ambulances arrived and started taking victims to hospitals.

Initially, police presumed the blast had occurred in a parked car outside the Aabpara market but later authorities said it was a suicide bombing.

The explosion occurred after police fired teargas to disperse hundreds of protesters clashing with police outside Lal Masjid. The protesters were demanding that Maulana Abdul Aziz should be called to lead the Friday prayers.

A security source said five to seven kilograms of explosive material had been used by the suicide bomber. Bomb disposal experts collected some pieces from the site but gave no official word. No group has owned the attack.

Islamabad Chief Commissioner Khalid Perveez said it was a suicide bombing. “We were expecting such an incident. There was intelligence that five suicide bombers had entered the federal capital territory. Two of them have completed their mission and three are still there.”

Deputy Commissioner Chaudhry Mohammad Ali confirmed the death of seven policemen and five civilians.

Four of the dead policemen, Mohammad Wasim, Natik Zahoor, Taqi Ehsan and Amad Ahmed, were taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences and three, Abdul Waqas, Hussain Ahmed and Rifaqat Iqbal, were taken to the Federal Government Services Hospital. The civilians who died included Tahir Ayub of G-6/7, Maqsood Liaquat, Tanveer Ahmed, Amjad and Riasat.

Thirty-four of the injured were taken to the Federal Government Services Hospital, 24 to Pims and six to the Capital Development Authority Hospital.

Media people were prevented from going inside hospitals.

A security source said there was intelligence that a suicide bomber had reached near Lal Masjid who could target security personnel.

At least 125 people have been killed and scores injured in a series of bombing in the country since the Lal Masjid operation.