Two Americans suffered minor injuries, but one Pakistani passer-by was killed and at least 10 others were wounded in the attack in the city of Peshawar. The strike was the first on Westerners since the May 2 raid by American commandos on Bin Laden's hide-out in an army town around three hours from Peshawar.

The Pakistani Taleban, an Al-Qaeda-allied group behind scores of attacks in recent years, claimed responsibility. "We say to the Americans and NATO that we will carry out more deadly attacks and we can do it," Taleban spokesman Ahsanullah Ahsan said in a phone call from an undisclosed location. "We had warned that we will avenge the martyrdom of Osama."

The Americans were traveling in two cars from their homes to the heavily protected consulate building when a car bomb exploded nearby, said US Embassy spokesman Alberto Rodriguez and police in the city. The Americans from the hit car were whisked away from the scene in the second vehicle. The most serious wound was a possible broken hand, he said.

Rodriguez had initially said Friday's attack was carried out by a suicide bomber, based on accounts from witnesses. He later called The Associated Press to say it was a planted explosive device of some kind. Pakistani police said it was a car bomb, presumably detonated remotely.

Rodriguez declined to say what job the Americans held.

The Peshawar consulate building and a top officer previously posted there have been attacked in the past.