Pakistani forces attacked a Taliban stronghold with aircraft and artillery today, as a suicide bomber killed 12 people in the city of Peshawar in the latest in a wave of militant attacks.
The government says a ground offensive against the Pakistani Taliban in South Waziristan is imminent and the army has been stepping up its air and artillery attacks in recent days to soften up the militants' defences.
The militants have launched a string of brazen attacks in the past 11 days, striking at the United Nations, the army headquarters, police and the general public, killing about 150 people.
Today's blast was outside an office of the police's Central Investigation Agency in the capital of North West Frontier Province, a staging post for US supplies into Afghanistan.
"I was on the spot within minutes and helped remove bodies. They were really in bad shape," said resident Mohammad Rizwan.
Police said a woman appeared to have been involved in the attack, while provincial Information Minister Iftikhar Hussain said the bomber drove up to the police office.
"His leg has been found. It is not clear if it is of a man or a woman," Mr Hussain told reporters, adding three policemen were among the dead.
A hospital official said 12 people had been killed and about a dozen were wounded.
The government says the militant attacks have only reinforced its determination to defeat its enemies.
Army chief General Ashfaq Kayani met political leaders later today amid speculation he would brief them on the offensive.
Nuclear-armed Pakistan is under US pressure to crack down on Islamist militancy as President Barack Obama considers a boost in troop numbers fighting in neighbouring Afghanistan.
Aircraft and artillery struck militant positions in their strongholds of Ladha, Makeen and in the mountainous Shahoor region of South Waziristan overnight, hours after killing 27 militants in the region in various strikes.
"We could see thick smoke and flames leaping into the sky from caves in the mountains after the bombing," said a resident near Shahoor who declined to be identified. Security officials said they had no information about casualties.
Reuters