Suicide Bomb Blasts Outside A Government Office In Pakistan Kills At Least 26 People, Left More Than 40 Wounded

A suicide bomb blasted outside the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) office in northwestern Pakistan city Tuesday killing at least 26 people and leaving more than 40 individuals wounded.

ABC News reported on the same day that a suicide bomber blew himself up outside the government office located in the town of Mardan. According to reports, the Taliban group reportedly has claimed responsibility for the attack.

A senior police officer revealed that wounded victims were rushed at a hospital near the city of Peshawar, with some of them are still in serious condition.

"A gunman opened fire and killed a guard upon being asked to stop for checking," Saeedd Khan Wazir told The Associated Press. "Then he exploded his suicide jacket."

The police officer added that the suicide bomber could have killed more people if he was able to enter the government office.

Provincial information minister Mushtaq Ghani confirmed to AFP that "at least 26 people have been killed and more than 50 injured," as noted by Yahoo! News Wednesday.

A witness of the attack said that the air was filled with dust and smoke after the explosion.

"I was standing in the queue waiting for my turn as I had gone to renew my identity card when I heard someone shouting Allahu Akbar (God is great) and then I fell to the ground," Nasir Khan revealed.

The 29-year-old eyewitness went on, "The air was filled with smoke and dust and I could not see anything. When the dust settled and I stood up, it looked as though someone had butchered the people in the line. There was only blood and flesh in the row where people were previously standing."

A spokesman for Jamaat-ul-Ahrar reportedly claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing.

"This office was attacked because it is an important institution of the infidel state of Pakistan," Ahsanullah Ahsan said in a dispatch.

"God willing, we will target all Pakistani organizations that are either directly or indirectly a part of this war."