At least four people, including three children, were injured when an improvised explosive device (IED) went off near the Peshawar Public School on main Warsak Road on Tuesday, rescue officials said.

“This unfortunate incident occurred at 9:10am on the main Warsak Road near the Peshawar Public School,” Warsak SP Arshad Khan told reporters after visiting the site of blast.

The explosive device was planted on a cemented block on the corner of the main central road, he added. According to an initial report by the Bomb Disposal Unit (BDU), four kilogramme of explosive material was used in the blast.

Khan also confirmed the number of wounded children. The injured were shifted to a private hospital as police and rescue teams rushed to the site of the blast.

The blast was so loud it was heard in distant areas of the city. Glass windows of nearby building and two vehicles were shattered after the explosion as panic spread among local residents.

A contingent of police and law enforcement agencies have cordoned off the area and were trying to ascertain the nature of the blast.

Personnel from the Crime Scene Investigation, the BDU, and other agencies were visiting the site. Khan said that search operation in nearby areas have been started.

CCTV footage showed the IED went off as two people were standing at the parking area.

When asked about the target of the blast, he said: “The investigation was under way and it is like very much early to comment on that.”

Caretaker Minister for Interior Sarfraz Ahmed Bugti condemned the explosion near the school in Peshawar.

He expressed deep sorrow and regret over the injuries of innocent children in the blast, saying that no effort should be spared in the treatment of children and others injured.

The terrorists were proving their cowardness by targeting innocent children, Bugti said, adding that the cowardly acts would not be able to sabotage peace and prosperity in the country.

Chairman of PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also expressed sorrow over the tragic incident which resulted in injuries to school children.

Bhutto urged the federal and provincial governments to take strict action against the culprits involved in the attack.