At least six policemen and three civilians were martyred in a gun attack on a security checkpoint in Dera Ismail Khan and a subsequent bomb blast at the hospital where the injured security personnel had been taken for treatment.

According to sources, two policemen were martyred on-site when militants attacked their check post early on Sunday morning.

The martyred officers were identified as Constable Jahangir and Constable Inam.

The carnage was compounded when a powerful bomb went off outside the trauma centre of the hospital where the policemen injured in the first attack had been bought for treatment.

District police chief Salim Riaz told that the blast was a suicide bombing carried out by a woman.  “The woman bomber, aged around 28 years, came on foot and blew herself up,” he said.

Four more policemen were martyred in the blast at the district hospital.

Another local police official, Malik Habib, confirmed the attack and casualty figures and said officers later recovered the mutilated head of the bomber.

AFP reported that Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan spokesman Muhammad Khurasani claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement sent to local media.

However, according to Reuters, Khurasani said the attacks were carried out in revenge for the killing of two Taliban commanders around a month ago, but denied the bomber was a woman.

The death toll may rise over the coming hours as at least 26 more people including eight policemen were injured in the explosion.

Officials at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in the area said five dead bodies and at least 26 injured people have been brought to the medical facility.

Police and other law enforcement officials have cordoned off the area and a search operation was initiated which included teams of the bomb disposal squad.

This is a developing story and will be updated accordingly.