Islamabad  - A suicide bomber attacked a security checkpoint Monday in Pakistan's restive Swat valley, killing at least nine people and injuring around two dozen more, a military officer said.

The attacker drove an explosives-laden car that he detonated next to a check post in Sanghota village about 8 am (0300 GMT) during a break in a curfew clamped on the area.

"All of those killed in the attack were civilians," the officer said on condition of anonymity.

One soldier was among the wounded in the explosion that also destroyed two vehicles moving on the road.

Government forces have been battling pro-Taliban militants led by Maulana Fazlullah, a local radical cleric, in Swat since last year when they launched an armed struggle to enforce self-defined Islamic laws in the region.

The mountain valley used to be a tourist haven known for its beautiful landscapes, trout streams and the country's only ski resort - which has now been destroyed by the insurgents. (dpa)