A blast near a police van in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region on Monday left at least five police officials dead.

The blast was reported left 27 people injured.

District Police Officer (DPO) Kashif Zulfiqar confirmed the casualties to Dawn.com.

According to Bajaur police spokesperson Israr Ahmed, the officials were on their way to provide security to polio teams as a vaccination campaign was underway in the region, the newspaper reported.

Wazir Khan Safi, the medical superintendent at Khar District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ), told Dawn News that 12 of the wounded were being treated at the hospital while 10 others seriously injured had been referred to a Peshawar medical facility.

Malakand Division Commissioner Saqib Raza polio campaign in the area was suspended following the blast.

The outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has taken responsibility for the incident.