Police said that a suicide bomber detonated explosives Monday outside a bank in Rawalpindi where people had lined up to pick up their monthly checks.

According to police Superintendent Ishtiaq Shah, the blast, in the Cannt area of the city, killed at least 25 people and wounded more than 30 others.

Home to the country’s military headquarters, Rawalpindi is a closely guarded city that is about 30 kilometers from the capital city of Islamabad.

The Cannt area is short for cantonment, so called because of its proximity to the military offices. It is home to several travel agencies and mid-range hotels.

Rawalpindi Police Chief Rao Muhammad Iqbal said that the bomber rode up to the front of the National Bank in a motorcycle or a bicycle.

As Islamic militants retaliate against a military offensive to rout insurgents operating along the Pakistan-Afghan border, Pakistan has been relentlessly rocked by a wave of attacks in recent weeks.

(article source: CNN, photo source: Prophezine)