PESHAWAR: A policeman was killed and 13 police personnel and six civilians were injured after two bomb explosions hit the city on Wednesday.

Medics at the Lady Reading Hospital said that a body and 19 injured were brought to the hospital.

Vehicles of the bomb disposal unit (BDU), a private television channel and Rescue 1122 were damaged in the blasts.

Police and eyewitnesses said the blasts took place in the Faqir Kilay area on a Pajjagi Road locality in quick succession.

SSP operations Abbas Majeed Marwat told Dawn that the first blast targeted a police patrol.

`The blast took place at around 9:16am, slightlyinjuring apoliceman and a civilian,` he said.

While BDU teams and police personnel were checking the site, another blast took place which caused most of the casualties, he said, adding that policepersonnel were the target of the attack.

Eyewitness Mir Ajam told reporters that he was driving his tractor when he came across the police party while some of them were resting. Suddenly, he said, there was a huge blast and the area was engulfed in smoke and a large number of police personnel arrived at the scene.

An official at the Mathra police station told Dawn that police personnel were providing security to polio teams. Two policemen from the Khanaza police station and one each from the Special Branch and the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) were among the injured.

A spokesperson for Rescue 1122 said that two of the rescuers were among the injured. Shehzad Sadiq, driver with Aaj TV, was also injured.

BDU chief AIG Shafgat Malik, who along with his team was sweeping the area for more explosives following the first blast, told Dawn that it was a very close call for them.`We were on the site following the first blast and combing the area when the second explosion took place,` he said, adding that a miracle had saved them.

He said the parked Aaj TV van took the brunt of the blast as the BDU team was working on the other side when the blast took place.

He said the bombs were planted in ghee canisters, weighing about five kilograms and were hidden in soil. `The target was apparently the BDU team, Mr Malik said.

The slain policeman was identified as Mohammad Iftikhar, a resident of Mathra. His funeral prayers were offered at the Malik Saad Shaheed police lines and attended by senior police officers.

The CTD has registered an FIR and started an investigation.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa capital has witnessed a surge in terrorist incidents in recent months. Seven incidents were reported in March, 14 in April and seven this month so far.