Pakistani police say a suicide bomber blew up a vehicle filled with explosives near a police station in the country's northwest, killing at least six people and wounding more than 25.
Investigators say Monday's blast near Peshawar severely damaged the police station, a mosque and other nearby buildings. Officials say it is the 7th bombing within a week in the area.
Meanwhile, a top Pakistani official has reacted to a report saying the U.S. has increased pressure on the country to expand its fight against al-Qaida and Taliban militants.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi says Pakistan will decide on its own how to fight militants, according to the country's priorities and resources. He also says the international community recognizes Pakistan's sacrifices fighting Islamist extremists.
The foreign minister's comments Monday were in response to a New York Times report saying President Barack Obama had encouraged Pakistani officials to rally political and national security institutions in the fight against extremists.
Militants have said the recent spate of attacks are in retaliation for a government assault on the Pakistani Taliban that began in mid-October in the tribal region of South Waziristan, near the Afghan border.
On Sunday, militants attacked the homes of two pro-government elders and killed one of them.
Police said militants approached the home of a village mayor near Peshawar, triggering a gun battle in which three of the attackers were killed. The mayor survived the assault.
Some information for this report was provided by Reuters.
