Pakistan bombing: 10 killed in suicide motorbike bombing in Peshawar (UPDATES)

Ten people were killed and 31 wounded in a suicide motorbike bombing targeting a military convoy in Peshawar, northwest Pakistan, today.

The victims included members of the security forces and two women. However, the apparent target of the attack, head of the paramilitary Frontier Constabulary (FC) Abdul Majeed Marwat, walked away with only a scratch, the Associated Press reported.

The BBC cited witnesses as saying that the suicide bomber approached the convoy as it was waiting at a military checkpoint. The bomber had 22 pounds of explosives attached to his body, police spokesman Mohammad Faisal told CNN.

Though the blast took place near the heavily fortified US consulate in Peshawar, officials said they believe that the target of the attack was Marwat, not the consulate. 

The Taliban has taken responsibility for the attack, explaining that they targeted the FC for its operation against the Pakistani Taliban.

Analysts in Pakistan say that the attack, which is not unusual for Peshawar, is just another step in the Taliban's increasing campaign of violence as Pakistan prepares for the May 11 elections.

Peshawar is on the border with Pakistan’s semi-autonomous tribal region, the main stronghold of Taliban militants in the country.

In August 2010, then Frontier Constabulary chief Sifwat Ghayur was killed in a similar suicide attack on his convoy in Sadar area of Peshawar, the Hindu wrote.

And on March 21, a car bomb tore through a refugee camp in northwest Pakistan, killing at least 12 people.

The uptick in violence has been linked to general elections in May.

The vote is set to mark the first democratic transition of power in Pakistan, which has been governed by four military rulers.