MIRAMSHAH, March 24: The death toll from Saturday evening’s suicide attack at a checkpost in the North Waziristan tribal region jumped to 17 on Sunday with more than 40 others injured.

Sources said the suicide attacker rammed his explosive-laden tanker into the Esha checkpost, around 15km east of Miramshah, the main city of North Waziristan. The checkpost is jointly manned by the army, paramilitary soldiers and the Khasadar personnel.

No group claimed responsibility for the bombing that reduced the entire compound to a heap of rubble.

A curfew was imposed in the area on Sunday.

Seventeen bodies and 40 injured were taken out of the debris and shifted to military hospitals in Bannu and Peshawar. The death toll could increase because many among the injured were in critical condition, said an official.

The sources said barracks within the boundary of the checkpost had either collapsed or were partially damaged.