MINGORA, July 12: Three police personnel were killed when two suspected suicide bombers rammed an explosives-laden car into a police vehicle in the Takhtaband bridge area here on Thursday.

Official sources identified the victims as assistant sub-inspector Taj Malook, head constable Islam Gul and constable Riaz.

The car was reduced to a wreck. Police claimed there were two bombers who were blown to pieces. However, witnesses told Dawn they had seen three people in the car before the blast.

An official of the Raheemabad police said the police vehicle was on a routine patrol in the afternoon when it was hit by the car with explosives.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack. The identity of the suicide bombers could not be established because their bodies were badly mutilated.

Meanwhile, an explosive device went off when a military convoy was passing through the Kabal area on Thursday. The windscreen of a police vehicle moving ahead of the convoy was smashed. However, no casualty was reported.

An official of the Kabal police told Dawn the convoy was moving towards Mingora when the device was activated by remote control, slightly damaging a bridge.

The official said it was one of the military convoys coming to the troubled Swat district.