MARDAN A young suicide bomber wearing school uniform blew himself up at Punjab Regiment Centre Mardan, killing at least 35 security forces jawans and injuring 54 others on Thursday. According to official sources and eyewitnesses, at around 8am a young suicide bomber, aged between16 to 18 years and wearing a school uniform, entered along with other students the PRC Centre from the western side, where Federal Government School, Aziz Bhatti Shaheed College and officers mess are also located side by side. The bomber struck recruits when they were busy in their morning drill and other exercises. At least 35 cadets were killed and 54 others wounded. However, the schoolchildren remained unhurt. Apparently, the bomber cleared the checkposts on the way because the security officials took him as a student. The bodies of the victims and those who sustained injuries were shifted to Combined Military Hospital, Mardan. However, the army helicopter shifted the seriously injured jawans to other cities. After the blast, police and district officials rushed to the spot, but security forces officials did not let them enter the training centre. At the time of blast, the students of FG School and Aziz Bahtti Shaheed College were holding their morning assembly. The bang, which was heard far and wide, terrified the students and teachers and most of them started screaming. Deputy Inspector General Mardan Abdullah Khan said 8 to 9 kg explosive material was used in the attack and legs and other body parts of the bomber were found from the spot. Agencies add: A 12-year-old boy in a school uniform blew himself up at an army recruitment centre. Wearing school uniform, the young boy blew himself up at the parade inside a heavily guarded military compound just outside the town of Mardan, killing the soldiers with shrapnel and explosives, officials said. After the attack, soldiers in bulletproof jackets and helmets cordoned off the entire area around the Punjab Regiment Centre, deploying jeeps mounted with machine guns and preventing access to the site. The Taliban claimed responsibility and threatened bigger attacks in coming days to avenge American drone strikes and military operations targeting militants in the northwestern tribal belt. We proudly claim this suicide attack, Taliban spokesman Azam Tariq said. We will continue such attacks on those people who are providing security to the Americans. These attacks are to avenge the drone attacks and military operations in the tribal areas. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani condemned Thursdays attack at the Punjab Regiment Centre. Such cowardly attacks cannot affect the morale of the security agencies and the resolve of the nation to eradicate terrorism, he said in a statement.