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At least 26 people have been killed and many injured in an attack at a mosque in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, Pakistani military officials say. Reports suggest there was an initial suicide attack during Friday prayers followed by a series of explosions. Ambulances have rushed to the scene in the busy Qasim Market area of the city. The Pakistani security forces have been targeted in a series of recent attacks. Nineteen people were killed in an army base attack in Rawalpindi in October. There has been a pattern of militant groups trying to attack security targets inside Pakistan recently, as the army pursues an offensive against militants in South Waziristan. Interior Minister Rehman Malik says two suicide bombers blew themselves up one after the other inside the mosque, causing the roof of the building to collapse. The area is cordoned off by the security forces and media have no access. Some reports put the number of dead higher; an emergency services official in Rawalpindi told Reuters there were 39 dead and more than 40 injured. The incident appears to have taken place near or inside the Parade Lane mosque where people were preparing for the Friday congregation. The mosque is a short distance from the army headquarters, in an area housing several offices of the defence establishment and the intelligence agencies. Several militant attacks have taken place in this area in the recent past. While there has been no immediate claim of responsibility for the latest incident, the Pakistani Taliban have carried out many recent attacks.