Suicide bombing at anti-militant rally in Pakistan kills 14, injures dozens

At least 14 people, including civilians and police officers, were killed and more than two dozen others injured in a suicide bombing that targeted an anti-militant rally in northwestern Pakistan on August 2, officials said.

The attack took place in the town of Kabal in the Swat Valley of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where demonstrators had gathered near a police station to demand stronger action against militancy and call for lasting peace, according to district police chief Omar Khan, The Associated Press reports.

Witnesses said speakers at the rally stressed that ensuring security and eliminating militant groups were the state's responsibility. They accused authorities of failing to take decisive action against militants, saying local residents wanted to live without fear after years of violence that has affected the region.

Bilal Faizi, a spokesman for the provincial emergency service, said the attacker detonated explosives among the crowd as participants chanted anti-militant slogans. Police said the victims included at least nine civilians and five police officers.

Asif Ali Zardari and Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack, expressing condolences to the families of those killed and wishing a speedy recovery to the injured. In separate statements, both leaders reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to continuing its campaign against terrorism and instructed authorities to provide the best possible medical care to those wounded.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also condemned the bombing, extending condolences to the victims' families and prayers for the recovery of those injured.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. However, suspicion is expected to fall on the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has carried out similar attacks in the past. The TTP is separate from, but allied with, Afghanistan's Taliban, and many of its leaders and fighters have been based in Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.

By Sabina Mammadli