PESHAWAR: A suspected suicide bomber killed at least 14 people, including police officers and civilians, in Pakistan’s northwestern Swat district on Sunday after a rally calling for lasting peace in the valley concluded, officials said.
The blast occurred outside Kabal police station as participants dispersed after the Swat People’s Peace Uprising, a rally organized by local residents and civil society groups to protest renewed militant violence in the region.
Swat, once the epicenter of the Pakistani Taliban insurgency, has witnessed growing public concern in recent years over a resurgence of militant attacks in parts of the district.
“Fourteen people, including police personnel and civilians, have been confirmed dead, while 15 injured are under treatment,” Bilal Ahmed Faizi, spokesman for KP Rescue 1122, told Arab News over the phone.
Ayesha Nasir, assistant commissioner of Kabal, confirmed that the explosion occurred outside the police station as people were leaving the gathering.
“Although the gathering was organized by local residents as a peace rally, the apparent target of the attack was the police, as the explosion occurred outside the gate of Kabal police station,” she said.
Swat District Police Officer Umar Gandapur told local media that investigators had recovered the head of the suspected suicide bomber from the scene and that an investigation was underway.
Police, rescue teams and other law enforcement personnel secured the area while ambulances shifted the wounded to hospitals in Saidu Sharif and Mingora.
No group had claimed responsibility for the attack at the time of filing.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi condemned the blast and directed authorities to submit a detailed report on the incident.
“I extend heartfelt condolences to the families of the police personnel and civilians martyred in the explosion,” he said in a statement.
Afridi also directed the provincial health department to ensure the best possible treatment for the injured, saying no negligence in their care would be tolerated.
