NOWSHERA, Oct 28: A police officer and his driver were killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up near his vehicle on Nowshera-Mardan Road on Friday, official sources said.

Syed Ajmir Shah, the SHO of Risalpur police station, achieved fame a couple of years ago for anti-insurgent operations he carried out when he was the SHO of Akora Khattak police station. He was given the presidential award in recognition of his services.

The sources said that Mr Shah had received threats from the Taliban for the actions he took against militants in the area.

Mr Shah, who only recently tied the knot, joined the police department as a constable and reached the rank of inspector during the past 10 years.

Police sources said that Mr Shah, who was around 35, and driver Takrimul Haq, a resident of Azakhel village, were travelling in a jeep. According to witnesses, when the vehicle reached the Bara Banda Chowk, the attacker rushed towards it and detonated explosives strapped to his body.

The SHO and the driver were killed. Constable Suhail Khan, who accompanied Mr Shah, and three civilians were injured. The injured civilians were identified as Salam, Shaukat and seven-year-old Rehman Yousuf. The bomber was believed to be in his late teens. Police recovered the head and legs of the bomber from the site of the blast.

The bomb disposal squad said that 8kg of explosives were used in the attack.Funeral prayers of the two personnel were held at Nowshera Police Lines before their bodies were sent to their native villages for burial.