At least six people have been killed in twin bomb blasts at a university in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, police and witnesses say.

The explosions occurred within minutes of each other at the International Islamic University in the eastern part of the city on Tuesday.

 “We have sent a team to the site. We are collecting information about casualties,” a policeman said.

Police said that one of the bombs had been detonated by a suicide bomber in a cafeteria for female students.

 Devastation

Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher, reporting from the scene, said: “We can see bits of clothes, scraps of books and a lot more worrying, very thick, dark red blood.

“There’s a thick heavy smell of smoke hanging in the air and every step we take have been punctuated by the sound of broken glass.

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“The windows have been buckled, and the walls have fallen in… looking at the extend of the damage, I can understand why [the toll] may possibly rise. 

Students from around the world study at the university.

The latest bomb attacks come at a time when Pakistani troops are engaged in an offensive against suspected Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters in South Waziristan province.

Pakistan has witnessed a string of attacks this month, resulting in the deaths of more than 170 people.

Analysts say armed fighters opposed to the government are likely to step up attacks to avenge the offensive in South Waziristan.

Source: Aljazeera