PESHAWAR - At least 27 persons, including two policemen, were killed and 40 others were injured Tuesday when a suicide bomber blew himself up at the gathering of a large number of people on the premises of District Headquarters Hospital, Dera Ismael Khan, police said. All the deceased were part of the gathering of Shia community present at the hospital to mourn the death of their one community member gunned down by some attackers in the city. Soon after the explosion, emergency was declared in all the hospitals and high-ranking civil and police officials reached the place of the incident. Moreover, section 144 was also imposed in the city to avert any untoward incident of law and order. According to the hospital officials, several injured persons succumbed to their injuries after the incident. The local people have confirmed that 27 people have died so far. Inspector General of NWFP Police, Malik Naveed, has confirmed, "Around 24 persons have been killed in the incident, including one policeman." However, some eyewitnesses said that two policemen were among the killed persons. While talking of the identity of the suicide bomber, Inspector General of Police Malik Naveed said, "So far some body organs of the suicide bomber, including legs, have been found and further investigations in this connection are in progress". Meanwhile, spokesman of Tehrik Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Maulvi Omar, has claimed the responsibility of the suicide attack terming it as a reaction to the ongoing military operation in Bajaur Agency. He also threatened that more similar attacks would be carried out in other areas. Agencies add: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, Information Minister Sherry Rehman and Chief Minister of NWFP Amir Khan Hoti have condemned the attack. Prime Minister in a message strongly criticised those who committed the heinous act and directed the authorities to investigate the matter and apprehend those responsible. The Prime Minister in a message to the families of the killed persons expressed his deep grief and sorrow over the loss of lives and sympathy to the persons injured in the attack. Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Sherry Rehman while condemning the attack said, "The government would never tolerate such acts and the perpetrators would be taken to task," she said in a statement issued here. The Minister said no religion allows such acts and termed it a terrorist attack. Sherry Rehman said the criminals were playing with the lives of the innocent people and reiterated to fight this menace with full might. "It is a barbaric act of terrorism which reflected inhumane nature of the perpetrators, she said and added a few elements were trying to disrupt peace in the country but they will not succeed in their designs. She prayed to Allah Almighty to rest the departed souls in eternal peace and grant courage to the bereaved families to bear this irreparable loss with equanimity. She also sympathized with the injured and prayed for their early recovery. Chief Minister NWFP Amir Haider Khan Hoti while strongly condemning the suicide attack announced Rs 100,000 each for those killed in the blast and Rs 50000 each for the injured. Moreover, he directed the law enforcing agencies to expose the perpetrators behind the heinous crime. He said that nothing could replace the precious human lives but the amount announced by the government for heirs of the blast victims was a gesture of sympathy with the bereaved families. The perpetrators behind the blast in the hospital were neither Muslim nor humans as a Muslim or human can not strike innocent people at a place like hospital. "It is indeed a great tragedy and a cowardly act in which several innocent people have been killed," chief minister said in a condolence message to the bereaved families on Tuesday. He expressed his deep sympathies with the families of those killed and wounded in the attack and prayed Allah Almighty to rest the departed souls in eternal peace and award courage to the aggrieved families for patience. The Chief Minister directed the concerned district officials to ensure free of cost treatment to the injured people. He said that such subversive activities on the part of criminals could not budge the provincial government from its resolve to restore peace in the province. He appealed the people of Dera Ismail Khan to remain calm and cooperate with the law enforcing agencies in order to bring the culprits to justice.