12 hurt in Pakistan car bomb blast

A car bomb exploded in the car park of a military-owned bank in northwestern Pakistan today, wounding 12 people, police said.

The attack happened outside the Askari Bank in Peshawar, the capital of North West Frontier Province bordering Afghanistan.

Mohammed Khan, a police official, said all 12 people injured in the blast were in a stable condition.

The explosion also damaged several vehicles and smashed office windows.

Pakistan is a key ally of the US in its campaign against terror. In recent years, Peshawar and many other parts of the Islamic nation have been hit by scores of bomb attacks, most blamed on outlawed domestic militant groups.