The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Peshawar

At least nine people were killed and 49 injured on Monday after a suicide bomber blew up his explosives-laden car in a restive northwestern Pakistan valley, officials said.

The bombing took place at a security checkpoint in the town of Mingora in scenic Swat valley, which has been rocked by a violent campaign to impose harsh Islamic laws. "According to initial reports, nine people were killed and 49 others were injured in the suicide blast at the checkpost," a security official told AFP.

He added that all who died were civilians, and a lone security official was among the wounded.

"The attacker was trying to approach the checkpost after bypassing the queue, but his car exploded on the way," the official said.

The chief of a local government hospital, Doctor Lal Noor, said that nine bodies were brought in along with the 49 who were wounded.

Pakistan is facing its worst period of violence by Islamic militants, many of who are linked to Al-Qaeda.

Nearly 1,500 people have been killed since July 2007 in a wave of militant bombings across the country.

Separately, one militant was killed and several others were injured in a clash with troops in Mingora, a security official said.

He added that authorities on Monday imposed an indefinite curfew in Mingora and that troops had launched a search operation for militants in the area.

Gunfights were also reported in several other parts of Swat valley and some arrests were made, the official said, but he did not have any more immediate details.

The mountainous, snow-capped Swat region is renowned for its ancient Buddhist relics and once attracted large numbers of foreign and local tourists with Pakistan's only ski resort.

But since last year it has been beset by violence blamed on pro-Taliban militants.

Another report adds: At least 13 people were killed and more than 70 injured when activists from rival political parties clashed in Pakistan's largest city Karachi, officials said Sunday. Troops were authorised to use guns to quell the violence as members of the ruling coalition party Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) clashed with the Pashtun nationalist Awami National Party.

"In different incidents of firing by rioters, 13 people have been killed and dozens of others injured," Karachi police chief Waseem Ahmed said.

The rioters set shops on fire at the city's Timber Market and also torched push-carts in other areas of the city, witnesses said.

Doctors at Karachi's main state-run hospital said they had seen 77 people wounded in the riots since late Saturday.