ISLAMABAD (AP) — A suicide bomber killed nine people in northwestern Pakistan Tuesday just hours after peace talks between government negotiators and a team representing the Pakistani Taliban were delayed, officials said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack on a hotel frequented by members of the Shiite Muslim minority sect. Suspicion is likely to fall on Sunni Islamic militants who view Shiites as heretics, although the Pakistani Taliban denied any responsibility for the bombing.