7 killed in blast at spy agency in NW Pakistan

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) - Authorities say seven people have been killed and 35 wounded in a bomb blast outside the headquarters of Pakistan's spy agency in the northwest.

The attack Friday took place in the city of Peshawar.

A police officer stationed at the city's Lady Reading Hospital said seven bodies had been admitted along with 35 wounded.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) - A powerful bomb targeted the offices of Pakistan's main spy agency in the northwestern city of Peshawar on Friday, tearing down much of the building and causing several casualties, witnesses said.

The blast struck at the heart of the agency overseeing much of the anti-terror campaign in the border regions with Afghanistan, where al-Qaida and Taliban leaders are believed to be hiding out.

It was the latest in a string of attacks on security forces, civilian and Western targets since the government launched an offensive in mid-October against the Taliban's main stronghold in the border region of South Waziristan.

An Associated Press reporter on the scene within minutes of the explosion saw at least eight dead or badly wounded bodies being taken away. The blast destroyed much of the three-story building belonging to the Inter-Services Intelligence agency and many cars on the street outside.

The reporter said it was the loudest explosion in recent years in the city, which is a militant hub and has seen at least four major attacks in the last month.

The government has said the militant attacks will not dent the country's resolve to pursue the offensive in South Waziristan, where officials say the most deadly insurgent network in Pakistan is based.