The explosives-laden car was parked at a CNG station as the attackers apparently could not get close to the intelligence agency’s heavily-guarded office in Civil Lines area of Faisalabad, regional police chief Aftab Cheema said.

“It is yet to be determined whether the attackers abandoned the car near the CNG station or deliberately parked it there,” Cheema said.

The powerful blast, which occurred at about 11:30 am local time, reduced the CNG station and three buildings to rubble and destroyed 33 cars and motorcycles near the ISI’s heavily guarded office in Faisalabad, considered the hub of Pakistan’s textile industry. Further damage was caused as cylinders exploded at the CNG station.

Several bodies and injured persons were pulled out of the rubble of buildings that collapsed due to the explosion.

Offices of the state-run Pakistan International Airlines and a private courier firm were severely damaged. The banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for the attack.

Militant spokesman Ahsanullah Ahsan told CNN that the target was the regional office of the ISI. Ahsan also told the media that the attack was aimed at avenging the killing of a militant commander in Faisalabad last year by security forces.