Islamabad  - A blast ripped through a funeral procession in north-western Pakistan Friday, killing at least four people and wounding several others, police said.

The attack took place in the town of Dera Ismail Khan in North-West Frontier Province near the Afghan border when Shiite Muslims were marching to a mosque to offer funeral prayers for a community member who was fatally shot Thursday.

"The explosion in the midst of the procession killed at least four people," police officer Mohammad Javed said.

Television channels, citing local sources, reported up to 10 deaths in the attack, which was believed to be carried out by a suicide bomber.

More than 1,500 people were attending the funeral procession.

Dera Ismail Khan's history is tainted with deadly sectarian violence between majority Sunni and minority Shiite communities. (dpa)