Blast at historic police HQ in Pakistan kills 8

Kohat: An explosion at a historic police headquarters in northern Pakistan on Friday killed at least eight people and wounded 35 more, officials said, with the country's president swiftly blaming a militant group.

A search-and-rescue operation was underway following the blast in Kohat in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to Bilal Ahmed Faizi from the 1122 rescue services.

Provincial police chief Zulfiqar Hameed told AFP that eight people were killed and 35 wounded, without giving more details about police and civilian casualties.

"The investigation into the nature of the blast is underway," Hameed said.

Faizi said more than 45 rescue personnel had been deployed to the site at the Old Police Lines in Kohat, a town of around 220,000 people.

"Rescue 1122 teams are actively engaged in the search-and-rescue operation at the site, and relief activities will continue until the operation concludes," he said.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack but the area has been gripped by a violent campaign by the Islamist militant Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) group. 

Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari expressed "regret" over the casualties, sending his "best wishes for the speedy recovery of those injured in the blast".

"The complete elimination of Fitna-al-Khawarij and terrorists operating with foreign backing is essential for national security," he said, using another term for the TTP group.

Pakistan has blamed the increase in attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the southern border province of Balochistan on militancy emanating from Afghanistan, where the Taliban government denies Afghan involvement.