Dozens of people have been killed and hundreds of people transported to hospitals after a suicide car bombing in central Lahore mid-morning today, May 27, targeted Pakistan security services.

The blast severely damaged a number of government buildings, including the Lahore Inter Services Intelligence (ISS) office, the Lahore Capital City Police Office (CCPO), and the building housing the country’s Rescue 15 service.

All available off-duty medical personnel were immediately recalled to deal with the large number of casualties, and appeals launched urging people to donate blood.

A spokesman for the nearby Gungaram Hospital said more than 60 people had been transported to that hospital alone and all Lahore hospitals placed on alert to receive survivors from the blast – all non-urgent medical cases have been sent home.

Rescue workers and citizens who rushed to the scene and began combing the rubble for people trapped under concrete, steel and cement came under fire from unidentified snipers holed up in the partially destroyed CCPO building.

The blast is the second Mumbai-style attack in Lahore in less than a month, and came as Pakistan armed forces are involved in fierce battles with Taliban militia in the Swat Valley.

A Pakistan military operation is currently underway in an attempt to flush-out the surviving terrorists and two people were taken into custody by Pakistani security forces as they attempted to dispose of weapons and blend in with the gathered crowd.

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates