PESHAWAR, Pakistan – At least 14 people were killed and more than two dozen others were injured after a suicide bomber attacked an anti-militant rally in Pakistan’s northwestern Swat Valley on Sunday, according to local authorities.
The bombing took place in the town of Kabal in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where hundreds of residents had gathered near a police station to demand stronger government action against militant groups. Demonstrators chanted pro-peace slogans and called on authorities to improve security in the region.
District Police Chief Omar Khan said the attack killed at least nine civilians and five police officers.
Suicide Bomber Targets Peace Demonstration
Witnesses said speakers at the rally criticized the government shortly before the explosion, arguing that protecting the public and eliminating militancy are the state’s responsibility.
Residents said they wanted to live without fear after years of violence that devastated the Swat Valley.
Bilal Faizi, a spokesperson for the provincial emergency service, said the attacker detonated explosives in the middle of the crowd as participants gathered to promote peace.
Emergency responders rushed the wounded to nearby hospitals, while security forces secured the area and began an investigation.
National Leaders Condemn the Attack
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the bombing in separate statements.
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Both leaders expressed condolences to the victims’ families and directed authorities to ensure the injured receive medical treatment.
They also pledged that Pakistan would continue operations against militant groups until terrorism is eliminated.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi likewise condemned the attack, offered condolences to the victims’ families and wished those injured a speedy recovery.
Swat Valley Faces Renewed Militant Activity
The Swat Valley was once under the control of Islamist militants who imposed a strict interpretation of Islamic law before Pakistan’s military regained control during a major operation in 2007.
In recent months, however, armed groups have reappeared in parts of the valley, raising concerns that Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), commonly known as the Pakistani Taliban, is attempting to rebuild its presence.
Residents have organized several anti-Taliban demonstrations in response, calling for stronger security and the removal of militant groups from the region.
Suspicion Falls on the Pakistani Taliban
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing.
However, suspicion is expected to focus on the TTP, which operates separately from but is allied with Afghanistan’s Taliban government.
Pakistan has repeatedly accused Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities of providing sanctuary to TTP fighters since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021. Afghan officials have consistently denied those allegations.
Pakistan Reports Rising Militant Violence
The attack comes amid an increase in militant violence across Pakistan, where police officers, soldiers and civilians have frequently been targeted.
Military spokesperson Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry said on Friday that Pakistan had recorded 3,145 terrorism-related incidents since January.
He said security forces had killed 2,084 militants during that period, while 819 Pakistanis—including civilians, police officers and military personnel—had died in militant attacks.
Chaudhry also said Afghanistan-based militants carried out 28 suicide bombings inside Pakistan this year. He alleged that many of the attackers were Afghan nationals or individuals linked to Afghanistan’s security forces and said Pakistan would continue operations against the TTP and what it described as the group’s support network.
This report is based on reporting by The Associated Press.
