More than 80 people were killed in a suicide bombing on a World Food Program project and a series of helicopter raids against militant camps in northwestern Pakistan, officials said.

A suicide bomber wearing a burqa, who some officials said was a woman, killed at least 43 people at a World Food Programme distribution point in a tribal area bordering Afghanistan on Saturday.

The blast occurred in Khar, the main town of lawless Bajaur tribal district, once a stronghold of Taliban militants who have carried out several bombings and suicide attacks in the area.

Most of the victims belonged to the local Salarzai tribe which supported military action against the militants and formed a militia to force them from Bajaur.

"At least 43 people were killed and more than 100 wounded in the suicide bombing," top tribal administration official Zakir Hussain said.

Separately, 40 militants were killed in Mohmand, another lawless tribal district, in a series of military raids, officials said.

US President Barack Obama condemned the Khar incident as an "outrageous terrorist attack" and said the United States stood with the people of Pakistan.

"Killing innocent civilians outside a World Food Program distribution point is an affront to the people of Pakistan, and to all humanity," he added.

There were conflicting reports about the identity of the bomber in Khar, with some officials saying the attacker was a woman, while others claimed a man disguised in a burqa was responsible.

The bomber was intercepted at a checkpoint outside the ration distribution center and the blast occurred during a search, Sohail Khan said.

A spokesman for Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the bombing.

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（中國日報網英語點津 Julie 編輯）

About the broadcaster:

Lee Hannon is Chief Editor at China Daily with 15-years experience in print and broadcast journalism. Born in England, Lee has traveled extensively around the world as a journalist including four years as a senior editor in Los Angeles. He now lives in Beijing and is happy to move to China and join the China Daily team.