A suicide bomber in northwestern Pakistan attacked the convoy of a senior politician Saturday, killing a policeman and wounding at least four others.

Local authorities said the attacker approached the convoy of Aftab Khan Sherpao on foot and detonated his bomb near his vehicle. Sherpao, a former Pakistani interior minister, escaped unharmed.

The French News Agency reported a local leader of the Pakistani Taliban militia Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the attack.

The attack took place in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province as Sherpao and several companions returned from a political rally. It came a day after a suicide bomber blew himself up outside a mosque in the Tirah Valley controlled by the Lashkar-e-Islam group, killing at least 22 people.

A spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban called news organizations Friday to claim responsibility for that attack.

Both the Pakistani Taliban and Lashkar-e-Islam have been battling for control of the valley.

Earlier, Pakistani officials said militants in the same area clashed with security forces, leaving at least 10 soldiers and 23 militants dead.

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AP feed: (Pashto) vox pop, Rahamdil Khan, Charsadda resident:

“It was quarter to five in the morning and we were offering our prayers inside the mosque. As we finished praying, we heard the noise of the blast. We came out to see the scene but the police had cordoned off the area so we don't actually know what happened there.”