Bomb destroys Pakistani security building, eight dead

By Faris Ali

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - A suicide car-bomber destroyed an office of Pakistan's main intelligence agency in the northwestern city of Peshawar on Friday, killing at least eight people and wounding over 30, witnesses and officials said.

Militants have stepped up attacks on security forces including a commando-style raid and hostage-taking at the army's headquarters in Rawalpindi last month.

The frontier city of Peshawar has been targeted several times since the army began an offensive against the militants in the South Waziristan region on the Afghan border on October 17.

"It was the biggest explosion I've ever heard," said city resident Asad Ali.

A military spokesman said the bomber's target was the office of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency and witnesses said the building in a military neighborhood had completely collapsed.

It was not clear how many people were in the building when the bomber struck at about 6:40 a.m. (0140 GMT), before the city's rush-hour.

"So far, death of eight people has been confirmed. Thirty-one people are wounded," city administrator Sahibzada Anis told Reuters.

Security is tight across the country with numerous checks on roads and it was not clear how the bomber was able to approach the ISI office.