Amid rising militant assaults in Pakistan, gunmen have stormed a mosque near the capital Islamabad, killing at least thirty-nine people and injuring several others.

Pakistani interior ministry sources said the gunmen detonated bombs and opened fire on worshippers who were attending Friday prayers in the garrison city of Rawalpindi.

A Press TV correspondent said a military parade was underway close to the scene of the deadly attack.

Militants in Pakistan have targeted an Islamic university, mosques and military headquarters over the past months, plunging the nuclear-armed country into unending crises of instability.

Some media reports quoted an emergency services official in Rawalpindi as saying that there were 39 dead and more than 40 injured.

The mosque is located in the busy Qasim market area which is frequented by serving and retired military officers.

The death toll is expected to rise as some of the seriously wounded are said to be in critical condition