Islamabad : A powerful car bomb today went off in a crowded market in the restive Khyber tribal region of northwest Pakistan, killing 17 people and injuring 50 others, officials said.

The explosives-laden car, parked at Fauji Market in Jamrud area of Khyber Agency, went off with a loud bang.  

The market was crowded at the time of the explosion, witnesses and security officials said.  

The dead and injured included women and children.  Officials said 10 of the injured were in a serious condition. More than 10 cars were destroyed and several shops damaged by the explosion.

Footage on television showed a column of black smoke rising into the sky as ambulances rushed to the market to ferry the injured and bodies to nearby hospitals.  

Security forces cordoned off the area as traders closed their shops. Troops conducted a search operation as officials scoured the site for clues.

No group claimed responsibility for the attack. Several militant groups, including the Pakistani Taliban and Lashkar-e-Islam, are active in Khyber Agency.