CHAKWAL, April 5 Twenty-six people were killed and more than 40 others injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up at the city's main Imambargah on Sunday, causing widespread destruction.

After the bombing which followed a series of such incidents, the entire country appeared vulnerable with terrorists at liberty to choose the place and time to attack.

This was the third suicide attack in less than 24 hours in which security personnel and a religious sect were targeted.

A suicide bomber struck near a checkpoint at Miramshah in North Waziristan on Saturday, killing Frontier Corps troops and civilians, including children.

Also on Saturday, a suicide bomber blew himself up in front of a makeshift barrack of paramilitary Frontier Constabulary in Islamabad, killing six personnel responsible for protecting the foreigners and two civilians.

However, Sunday's incident was different, at least in the nature of its target. The suicide bomber attacked a religious gathering taking place in an Imambargah in Chakwal, suggesting that those masterminding such incidents regarded both the security forces and members of a particular Muslim sect as their legitimate targets.

There were moving scenes as the blast killed or wounded all those who were about to enter the Imambargah to attend a Majlis.

Eyewitnesses said the attacker, said to be aged between 15 and 17, detonated his suicide jacket when he was stopped at the gate of the Imambargah, located in the heart of the city.

“I saw a teenage boy trying to enter the Imambargah. One of the guards of the Imambargah got hold of him. The suicide bomber then raised his arms and blew himself up,” eyewitness Wahid Ahmed told Dawn. Another eyewitness, Imran, who was inside the Imambargah when the blast took place, said that at first he thought the roof of the Imambargah had collapsed.

“But a few minutes later, I saw bodies and injured people lying in a pool of blood,” he added.

An emergency was declared in the District Headquarters Hospital of Chakwal.

“We have so far received 26 bodies and 41 injured people,” said Dr Alamgir, the Medical Superintendent of the hospital.

He said that 10 of the injured had been taken to hospitals in Rawalpindi and Islamabad in critical condition.

Moving scenes were witnessed at the hospital where people had gathered in large numbers.

Some people held a protest demonstration in the main market of the city. They blocked roads and attacked public and private vehicles.“We did not have any prior information that terrorists could strike Chakwal,” Inspector-General of Punjab Police Shaukat Hayat told reporters after visiting the site of the attack.

He said a joint investigation team had been formed. Police and intelligence sources said the initial investigation had suggested that the suicide bomber probably belonged to the NWFP, but his handlers were local.

Agencies add Police said some 1,200 people were attending the religious gathering.

The IG said the suicide bomber appeared to be 15-year-old boy whose legs and head, with damage to the face, had been found at the blast site.

Provincial Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said the bomber could not enter the Imambargah and blew himself up at the entrance.

“The bomber was intercepted at the entrance, otherwise he could have caused large-scale casualties,” Mr Sanaullah said.

“We have sent two helicopters to move the injured to hospitals in other cities.”

An AFP photographer at the scene said the vast mosque remained intact after the blast, but wreckage of cars and motorcycles lay strewn around the boundary wall.

One witness described hearing a “very loud blast” during a brief interval in the religious session when people were going in and out of the mosque.

“There was a huge blast and a lot of smoke. I rushed to the main gate and saw several bodies lying in a pool of blood and body parts scattered all around,” Qazi Wafa told AFP by telephone.

“It was the most horrible scene of my life, but I immediately started helping efforts to get the wounded to hospital.”

Some of those killed were identified as Bashir Matwali, Javed Jadi, Arsalan Haider, Ali Haider , Habib Khan, Sajid Hussain, Ghulam Shabbir, Nusrat Hussain, Zulfiqar Hussain, Chaudhry Baqir Ali, Chaudhry Ejaz, Muhammad Jahangir, Haji Tawakal Abbas, Karam Elahi, Mian Khan Tatral, Sher Khan, Chaudhry Ahmed Khan, Haji Wasif Hussain and Kamran.

President Asif Ali Zardari “strongly condemned” the bombing and ordered authorities to find the perpetrators and punish them.

“The president deplored the attack and said such acts were being masterminded by people who were against the state and wanted to bring a bad name to the religion,” his office said in a statement.

Adviser to Punjab Chief Minister Raja Ishfaq Sarwar announced a compensation of Rs500,000 each for heirs of the deceased and Rs75,000 each for the injured.