At Least 14 Killed in Suspected Suicide Bombing in Northwest Pakistan

AP

Ambulance at the area where the blast occurred in Pakistan.

At least 14 people were killed in a suspected suicide bombing outside a police station in northwestern Pakistan on Sunday, Reuters reported citing a rescue organisation and a regional police official, as the country continues to grapple with a growing insurgency.

The explosion occurred in the Kabal area of Swat district in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

A pro-police rally attended by local residents was taking place nearby at the time of the blast, although it was not immediately clear whether the gathering was the intended target.

Fida Hussain, a regional police official, said the victims included five police officers and eight civilians. The 14th person was believed to be the suicide bomber, he told Reuters.

At least 18 people ‌were ⁠wounded, Reuters reported citing a police statement, which also said that an operation had been launched to arrest anyone who may have assisted the attack.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif in a statement expressed "deep grief ⁠and sorrow over the suicide blast".

Militancy in Pakistan’s border regions has escalated sharply in recent months, with attacks primarily targeting the military and police.

The Pakistani government has blamed the Afghan Taliban for the surge in violence, accusing it of providing support to militant groups operating across the border. The Taliban administration has rejected the allegations.



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