A suicide bomber drove a car full of explosives into a police checkpoint in northwestern Pakistan, killing at least 16 people.
Local police officials say Wednesday's attack in Charsadda, near the city of Peshawar, killed at least nine policemen and several civilians. Peshawar is the capital of Pakistan's North West Frontier Province and the gateway to the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Giliani condemned the attack. In a statement, President Zardari said the perpetrators of "such a heinous crime" would be brought to justice.
The region has experienced a surge of militant attacks by Pakistani Taliban fighters and other Islamic groups. Attacks also have been carried out in other parts of Pakistan, including the capital, Islamabad, and the commerical center, Karachi.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
