Pakistani soldiers stand guard in Mingora, in the Swat valley in northern Pakistan, 8 Dec 2007

Pakistani officials say a suicide bomber has killed 8 people in Swat Valley, a day after the military said it forced nearly all pro-Taliban militants from the region after weeks of fighting.

Security officials say 3 policeman and 5 civilians, including 2 children, were killed Sunday when the bomber drove a car loaded with explosives into a police checkpoint. Several other people were wounded.

In a separate incident, the bodies of 3 people were found 35 kilometers from Swat's main town of Mingora. A military spokesman said the men were local militants who may have been killed by local people.

Also Sunday, Pakistani police say unknown assailants fired at least 3 rockets at an air force base in the northwestern city of Peshawar.

On Saturday, Pakistan's army said it had killed 290 militants and captured 143 others in Swat Valley since beginning major operations last month to retake territory from pro-Taliban forces.

An army spokesman said 5 soldiers and 6 civilians also were killed during the operations, but that militant leader Maulana Fazlullah had escaped to nearby mountains with at least 200 of his supporters.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.