The incident, claimed by the Taliban, took place in Balyamina village, 10 kilometres (six miles) west of northwestern Hangu, a town regularly hit by sectarian violence and suffering from the effects of a Taliban-linked insurgency.

"One policeman was killed and seven others wounded, one of them critically when militants fired five rockets and shot at their van patrolling the village," police spokesman Fazal Naeem told AFP.

Naeem later said that the critically wounded policeman died in hospital.

A senior local police official, Abdul Rasheed, confirmed the incident.

Police rounded up 22 suspects in connection with the attack, Naeem said.

Taliban spokesman Azam Tariq claimed responsibility for the attack and said: "Our attacks will continue until (US) drone attacks and operations in tribal areas, which are killing innocent people, are stopped."