From correspondents in Islamabad, Pakistan, 08:00 PM IST

At least five people were killed and about 100 injured as two back-to-back blasts ripped through busy market places in Peshawar in northwestern Pakistan, media reports said.

The blasts occurred within minutes of each other in Qisa Khwani and Kabari Bazar in the capital city of militancy-infested North West Frontier Province, The News reported.

Several vehicles and dozens of shops were damaged in the blasts, the report said.

According to eyewitnesses, the explosion at Qisa Khwani occurred when a bomb planted in a car parked outside the market went off.

The injured have been rushed to nearby hospitals and a state of emergency has been declared in the area.

Rescue and relief activities were under way at the blast sites.

There were also reports of gunfire in the vicinity after the explosions, Aaj TV reported quoting police sources.

At least six attackers were hiding in a building in the area. They were holding a child hostage and using him as a human shield, the sources said.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)