Suicide bomber kills Peshawar police commander

PESHAWAR: A suicide attack on Thursday killed a senior Peshawar police officer and wounded his bodyguard at Pishta Khara Chowk, police said.

"Police Superintendent Kalam Khan died in the blast and his driver and a guard were injured," police officer Tahir Ayub said. The injured were shifted to Hayatabad Medical Complex for treatment.

"The bomber came on foot and detonated explosives strapped to his body near Khan's jeep," bomb disposal squad chief Hukum Khan said.

"We have found the bomber's head," he added.

The incident took place on a road under construction in Peshawar's Pishta Khara neighbourhood that meant Khan's car had to drive slowly, police said.

According to AIG Bomb Disposal, approximately six kilograms of explosive material and ball bearings were used in the attack.

Security forces cordoned off the area and started investigation.

Khan had been on his way to work in the suburban town of Badaber, where a suicide attack killed 15 people at a funeral on Sunday.