The shops in the city were closed after the authorities clamped a curfew.

NWFP Information Minister Iftikhar Hussain earlier told reporters that 12 policemen were killed in the attack. He said the suicide bomber climbed the compound wall to enter the facility.

He added that although the security forces have dismantled the terrorists' bases in the country, the rebels still have the capacity to launch attacks on government facilities.

He said the war against terrorism will continue till the militants are eliminated from the country.

Meanwhile President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani have strongly condemned the bombing and ordered an investigation into the incident. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif also condemned the attack.