A suicide bomber killed 10 people in a crowded market on Monday near the Pakistani army headquarters in the city of Rawalpindi.

A suicide bomber killed 10 people in a crowded market on Monday near the Pakistani army headquarters in the city of Rawalpindi, Reuters reported.

The market is 10 minutes' walk from the army headquarters and is considered one of the most secure areas of the city.

Police diverted people from the area in case a second blast took place.

A Taliban spokesman claimed responsibility for the bombing.

The attack, not far from the capital, Islamabad, comes a day after a Taliban bombing killed 20 Pakistani soldiers near the tribal region of North Waziristan.

The Pakistani government is keen to pursue talks with the Taliban but the number of attacks has spiked since Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif came to power last year.