The improvised explosive device "was detonated using a remote controlled device" near the town of Dhog Darra in Upper Dir district, regional police chief Ehsanullah Khan said.

Khan added that three people were killed and eight wounded in the attack, two of whom were in critical condition.

The dead included the driver of the vehicle and two young men.

"It was a militant act aimed at creating fear among the people in the area," Khan said.

There were no immediate claims of responsibility for the attack.

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2012