A female suicide bomber struck outside a hospital in Pakistan on Sunday as the wounded were being brought in from an earlier shooting against police, in a complex assault claimed by the Pakistani Taliban that killed a total of nine people and wounded another 30. Salim Riaz Khan, a senior police officer in Dera Ismail Khan, said eight police were among the wounded, and that many of the wounded were in critical condition.

Inayat Ullah, a local forensics expert, said the female attacker set off 7kg of explosives packed with nails and ball-bearings.

The blast damaged the emergency room and forced it to shut down, according to a hospital official, who said the wounded were taken to a military hospital. The official spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal.

A female suicide bomber struck outside a hospital in Pakistan on Sunday as the wounded were being brought in from an earlier shooting against police, in a complex assault claimed by the Pakistani Taliban that killed a total of nine people and wounded another 30. Salim Riaz Khan, a senior police officer in Dera Ismail Khan, said eight police were among the wounded, and that many of the wounded were in critical condition.

Inayat Ullah, a local forensics expert, said the female attacker set off 7kg of explosives packed with nails and ball-bearings.

The blast damaged the emergency room and forced it to shut down, according to a hospital official, who said the wounded were taken to a military hospital. The official spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal.