At least 19 people were killed today and several others were wounded when a suicide bomber attacked a patrol in the Khyber Agency. Most of the slain were said to be police and paramilitary forces.

Exact details of the attack were unclear, with some insisting the attacker was on foot and others claiming he was in a car loaded with explosives. The attack took place along a key road to Peshawar, which links the major city to Afghanistan through the Khyber Pass.

Officers said the attack was likely the work of the Lashkar-e Islam, a group considered to have a significant presence in Khyber. So far no official claims of responsibility have been made.

The attack will likely raise further questions about the safety of the Khyber route, a key supply route for NATO forces in Afghanistan, which has been coming under increasing siege over the past several months.

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