He also said that more than a dozen were wounded by the blast.

Several children, four women and the bride's father were also among the dead, while five children were among the wounded.

"Almost everyone in the family had injuries. Many had shrapnel in the head and face," said Javed Khan, a doctor at the hospital in the main town in the Swat Valley.

Continued conflict

Pakistani troops have been locked in combat with pro-Taliban fighters in the area for months.

More than 450 people have been killed in the violence since the beginning of the year.

Many of the fatalities have been in the Swat valley, where the military began an offensive in October to clear out suspected al-Qaeda-linked fighters who had infiltrated from strongholds on the Afghan border.