KHAR, Dec 26: Security officials have confirmed that a deadly attack on a World Food Programme’s distribution centre on Saturday was carried out by a woman, in the country’s first known case of a female suicide attack.

The officials said on Sunday they believed the woman bomber belonged to Swat district. They said investigators had collected legs of a woman from the site of the attack and a ladies’ purse.

“The bomber entered from Swat and she stayed for two nights near Khar,” said an official.

Levies personnel said they had noticed the movements of the woman but thought she might be a schoolteacher.

Meanwhile, 45 victims of the attack were buried in different areas of Bajaur Agency on Sunday.

Bazaars and markets in all main towns of the agency remained closed in mourning.

The information minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa visited hospitals in Khar and inquired about the welfare of the wounded. He addressed a tribal jirga and expressed solidarity with the bereaved families.—Correspondent

AFP adds: A local administration official in Khar, Zakir Hussain Afridi, said: “We have found hair and hand and feet body parts painted with henna at the site of the attack, which leaves no doubt that the bomber was a woman.”

“We are conducting investigations to work out which tribe and area the woman belonged to,” he said.

Another senior administration official, Muhammad Jamil, confirmed that the bomber was a woman.

The assistant head of police for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Shafqat Malik, said it was the first proven case of a woman suicide bomber in Pakistan.