01/12/2008 At least nine people were killed and 49 injured on Monday after a suicide bomber blew up his explosives-laden car in a restive northwestern Pakistan valley, officials said.
  
The bombing took place at a security checkpoint in the town of Mingora in scenic Swat valley, which has been rocked by a violent campaign to impose harsh Islamic laws. "According to initial reports, nine people were killed and 49 others were injured in the suicide blast at the checkpost," a security official said.
  
He added that all who died were civilians, and a lone security official was among the wounded. "The attacker was trying to approach the checkpost after bypassing the queue, but his car exploded on the way," the official said. The chief of a local government hospital, Doctor Lal Noor, said that nine bodies were brought in along with the 49 who were wounded.
  
Separately, one militant was killed and several others were injured in a clash with troops in Mingora, a security official said. He added that authorities on Monday imposed an indefinite curfew in Mingora and that troops had launched a search operation for militants in the area.
  
Gunfights were also reported in several other parts of Swat valley and some arrests were made, the official said, but he did not have any more immediate details.