A suicide bomber detonated his explosives-laden car in a packed market in northwest Pakistan on Tuesday killing 32 people and injuring over 60, the latest in a series of deadly attacks since the Army launched an offensive against the Taliban in the restive tribal belt last month. The explosion occurred in Farooq-e-Azam Chowk, the main commercial area of Charsadda, 40 km north of Peshawar, shortly after 4.20 pm local time.

The blast destroyed scores of shops on both sides of the road and knocked down electrical wires. Officials suspected the bomb was planted in a car outside the market, said police officer Rokhan Zeb Khan. Rashid Kaka said he was returning from the mosque to his shop in the market when the bomb exploded. “It was deafening and there were clouds of dust all around,” said Kaka. “Later I saw many bodies lying scattered.”

Officials said 20 people were killed and 55 others were wounded. No one claimed responsibility, but authorities have blamed similar attacks in recent weeks on the Taliban.

On Monday, a suicide bomber in a rickshaw detonated his explosives near a group of policemen in Peshawar, killing three people. A day before, a suicide bomber blew himself up in a market south of Peshawar, killing 12 people, including a mayor who once supported but had turned against the Taliban. A late October blast in Peshawar had killed around 120 people in the deadliest attack to hit the country since 2007.