Pakistani villagers look at destruction caused by the explosion on the outskirts of Peshawar, 06 Sep 2008

Authorities in Pakistan say at least 30 people have been killed in a suicide attack in the country's northwest.

Officials say dozens of others were wounded Saturday, when a suicide bomber rammed a vehicle full of explosives into a police checkpoint near Peshawar, the capital of North West Frontier Province.

Police say the blast destroyed the checkpoint and brought down several nearby buildings.  Rescuers were searching through the rubble to find any survivors, and police said the death toll may rise.

Pakistani Taliban militants have claimed responsibility for the bombing.  The radical Islamist group says it has carried out several attacks in recent weeks in retaliation for military operations against militants in Pakistan's tribal region.

Friday, officials with the International Committee of the Red Cross said fighting in Pakistan's tribal areas has displaced tens of thousands of people in recent weeks.

Red Cross official Pascal Cuttat said in Geneva Friday that as many as 300,000 people have fled their homes in Bajaur district, near the Afghan border.  He said 80 percent of those displaced are women and children.

Pakistani government forces have intensified attacks on al-Qaida and Taliban militants in Bajaur over the past month.