MINGORA, Oct 16 At least four security personnel were killed and 28 others wounded when a police station here came under a rocket attack, followed by a suicide bombing late on Wednesday night.

Swat district police chief Delawar Khan Bangash told newsmen that militants fired rockets on the station. A heavy exchange of gunfire followed but soon an explosive-laden coach was rammed into the rear wall of the city police station.

“Most of the casualties were caused by the rocket attack,” Additional Inspector-General of Police (Investigation) Safwat Ghayyur told Dawn in Peshawar.

Frontier Constabulary personnel Mohammad Ijaz, Mujahid and Riaz and Assistant Sub-Inspector Naeem Khan were killed. At least 14 FC personnel and 12 policemen were injured. Two civilians also suffered injuries.

Police said over 200 shops, the Mingora press club, offices of some TV channels and newspapers, a school, two mosques and a number of hotels and houses were among dozens of buildings damaged by the explosion.

The building of the Swat tehsil municipal administration was also damaged.

The blast reduced the walls of the police station to rubble.

The injured were taken to the district headquarters hospital in Saidu Sharif.

The sound of the explosion was heard in a vast area and people came out of their homes in panic.

A suicide attack on the same police station in July had injured two FC men.

Meanwhile, security forces and helicopter gunships pounded suspected militant hideouts in Alam Ganj, Karram Dheri and suburbs of Khwazakhela, killing and injuring several people.

The forces claimed to have gained control of Gashkor and advanced to other areas.

Local people continued migrating to safe places.

According to the Swat media centre, the curfew in force in the region was relaxed on the Matta-Khwazakhela and Gashkor roads and in some other areas from 2pm to 5pm.