A spokesman for Pakistani's Ansar-ul-Islam armed group and his driver have been killed by a remote-controlled bomb in Peshawar, Pakistani police have said.

Five people were also injured in the attack on Mubeen Afridi on Saturday in the northwestern city, police said.

"Two people were killed and five others were injured in the car bombing," Sifwatullah Ghayyur, Peshawar's police chief, told the AFP news agency.

"The bomb was planted in the car and was detonated by a remote control."

Rival group suspected

The Ansar-ul-Islam fighters operate in Khyber tribal district near the border with Afghanistan.

Ghayyur said police suspect that Lashkar-e-Islam, a rival group, could be behind the bombing.

Up to 10 kilogrammes of explosives were used in the device, which was planted under the car, said Shafqat Malik, a bomb disposal official.

Sahibzada Anis, the head of district administration, said that the bombing took place on a road that was normally busy but there were fewer people out due to the onset of the holy Muslim month of Ramadan.

The government last year launched a major operation against groups in Khyber which sent their leaders moving into the mountains bordering Afghanistan, after the militants threatened to take over Peshawar.