A suicide bomber killed at least 14 people and wounded more than two dozen others at an anti-militant rally in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Sunday. The attack occurred in Kabal, a town in the Swat Valley, where demonstrators had gathered near a police station to chant anti-militant slogans and demand peace.
Officials confirmed that police officers were among the dead. The suicide bomber struck the crowd as they were protesting, according to Bilal Faizi, a spokesman for the provincial emergency service. District police chief Omar Khan stated that at least five officers were killed in the blast.
Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the attack, offering condolences to the victims' families and prayers for the injured. The Swat Valley has a history of militant activity. It was once a stronghold for Islamic militants who enforced a strict interpretation of Sharia law. The Pakistani military launched a significant operation in 2007, driving out the militants and re-establishing government control.
While no group has immediately claimed responsibility for Sunday's bombing, suspicion is likely to fall on the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The TTP is allied with Afghanistan's Taliban rulers and many of its fighters have sought refuge in Afghanistan since the Taliban's return to power in 2021. Pakistan has repeatedly accused Afghanistan's Taliban government of harboring TTP militants, an allegation that Kabul denies. Pakistan has observed an increase in militant attacks in recent years, with police and security forces frequently targeted.