PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Pakistani troops pounded Islamic militants in the volatile northwest Saturday, killing 37 in retaliation for suicide attacks that have put pressure on the new government to counter a growing extremist threat.

The two main parties in the ruling coalition — who have been preoccupied with internal squabbling since forcing Pervez Musharraf to resign as president — dabbled in peace talks with the militants soon after taking power five months ago.

But after limited success, they have increasingly relied on military force to try to beat back al-Qaida and Taliban-linked insurgents in the remote and rugged tribal regions along the border with Afghanistan.

The militants have responded with force in recent days.

The Taliban immediately claimed responsibility for one of the country's deadliest-ever terrorist attacks, a twin suicide bombing at a massive government weapons complex that killed 67 people and injured more than 100 on Thursday.

On Saturday, a car packed with explosives rammed into a police station in Swat, a former tourist destination, killing six officers and injuring several, said local police official Mohib Ullahn.

A roadside bomb in the nearby village of Bari Kot killed one civilian and injured four, said Muslim Khan, a spokesman for the Taliban militants.