LANDI KOTAL, Oct 9: A suicide bomber blew himself up near a security checkpoint here on Thursday, causing some damage to a vehicle but no casualties.

The incident took place near the Michni picket, a joint checkpoint of Khyber Rifles and Khasadar. A witness said that a suicide bomber, aged between 20 and 25 years, came running from behind a moving trailer and blew himself up.

The blast killed the bomber, but nobody was injured, the witness said. Security personnel cordoned off the area immediately after the blast and took remains of the bomber to the Agency Headquarters Hospital for DNA tests.

Officials of the political administration said that Pakistan and Afghanistan guards posted at the Torkhum border were the possible target of the bomber. They contended that the explosives went off accidentally as the attacker was trying to board a vehicle going to Torkhum. This was the first suicide bombing in the Landi Kotal tehsil.

Officials identified the suicide bomber as Ajman Khan, a resident of Bahadar Khel, Landi Kotal tehsil.