A new day — a new scene of devastation.

Residents in Peshawar in north-western Pakistan have been forced to become familiar with scenes like this.

At least one person died and more than 15 others were injured when a bomb went off near a police checkpoint.

Emergency services once again turn to the grim task of helping the injured and clearing up the wreckage...

The blast came a day after a suicide car-bomber attacked an office of Pakistan's main intelligence agency in the city, killing 17 people.

The attacks are the latest in a string of violence that has left residents in the city gripped by fear.

Teacher Rahat Khan says children have been badly affected.

[Rahat Khan, School Teacher]:
"Parents are worried when the children are at school. God knows how their hearts shudder with fear because anything can happen any time. Students cannot sit for examination and their courses are not complete. The situation is very unpredictable. The fear has gripped everything."

The city, near the Afghan border, has been targeted several times since the army began an offensive against the Taliban in South Waziristan last month and militants stepped up retaliatory attacks.

The United States says Pakistan's action against militants in border enclaves is vital for its Afghan effort.