A suicide car bombing at a police station in northwestern Pakistan killed at least six officers and wounded several others on Saturday in the latest in a string of attacks claimed by Taliban militants, security officials said.

The attack took place when a car packed with explosives rammed into a police station in Swat, a former tourist destination.

Pakistan's AAJ TV aired pictures of badly damaged buildings at the blast site as well as injured people being helped away from the scene.

The attack underscores the many challenges ahead for the two main parties in Pakistan's ruling coalition - traditional rivals who united to force Pervez Musharraf from power less than one week ago.

Though the five-month-old government initially sought to tame militants in peace negotiations, it has in recent weeks become entangled in increased fighting with hard-line Islamic movements along its border.

That was hammered home two days ago, when Taliban militants carried out one of Pakistan's deadliest-ever attacks - twin suicide bombings that killed 67 people at the country's biggest weapons manufacturing complex.

A Taliban spokesman immediately claimed responsibility for Saturday's attack and vowed more bombings if the government did not halt army operations in the area.

Also on Saturday, a civilian died and three were wounded in the Bari Kot village in Swat when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle, the Taliban spokesman said.

Islamic militants have been battling security forces in Swat to pressure the government to enforce Taliban-style religious laws.

Pakistan is a key ally of the United States in its so-called "war on terror" and has been fighting militants in the country's tribal regions near the Afghan border since the September 11, 2001 attacks in the US.

But the violence has spread to Swat and some other more populated areas in recent years.