PESHAWAR: A suicide bomber killed four people when he detonated a car bomb at a police checkpoint in a marketplace in northwest Pakistan on Wednesday, officials said.

Pakistan is grappling with an uptick in militancy since the Taliban returned to power in neighbouring Afghanistan, although the latest attack has not yet been claimed by any group.

Local police official Rasool Daraz told AFP two soldiers, a policeman and a civilian were killed when the bomber blew himself up in Liaqat Bazar of the Datta Khel sub-division of North Waziristan.

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“The bomber blew up his vehicle while he was being searched at the check post,” he said.

“It seems the bomber wanted to reach another destination but blew himself up after he was stopped by police for a routine search.”

Another five people were wounded in the blast.

A second police official, Tariq Dawar, confirmed the incident and casualties.