6 killed, 17 injured in Pakistan suicide blast

At least six people, including a child, were killed and 17 others injured today when a Taliban suicide bomber targeted a police vehicle in the restive northwest Pakistan's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.

Deputy inspector general of police Iftikhar Khan said the bomber, who was on foot, targeted the vehicle near the main police station of Bannu in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.

Other officials said a police constable and a child were among those killed.

The 17 injured people were taken to a nearby hospital, where an emergency was declared.

Police cordoned off the site of the blast and launched a search operation. A suspect was arrested from the area, officials said.

Shops and markets across the city closed down after the attack on the police van.

A spokesperson for the Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility.

Bannu district borders the volatile North Waziristan tribal region, which is considered a hub of Taliban and al-Qaeda elements.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani condemned the attack in Bannu and directed authorities to investigate the incident.