At least 12 people have been confirmed killed and 150 more injured in a mid-morning series of terrorist bomb blasts in central Lahore.

Rescue and security personnel who rushed to the scene came under fire from unidentified gunmen hiding inside the Lahore Capital City Police Office (CCPO) building, itself a target of the blasts.

The blasts, the second Mumbai-style attack in Lahore in less than a month, took place only 200 meters from the Punjab Assembly and close to nearby schools.

Among government offices damaged and/or destroyed in the explosion was the Lahore Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) office, the Lahore Capital City Police Office (CCPO), and the building housing the country’s Rescue 1121 service.

Emergency service personnel reported more than 60 patients were transported to one nearby hospital, with the Pakistan Military providing cover for those searching the rubble for survivors from snipers holed up in the CPPO building.

All available medical staff in Lahore have been recalled to serve at nearby hospitals to handle the wave of casualties.

Emergency service personnel believe up to hundreds may be trapped under the debris of collapsed buildings.

The Pakistan government has been involved in fierce fighting over the last couple of weeks against Taliban fighters in the Swat Valley.

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates