At least 14 dead in suicide bomb attack at anti-militant rally in Pakistan
No group claimed responsibility for the attack in the northwestern town of Kabal but suspicion is likely to fall on the Pakistani Taliban
A suicide bomber targeted protesters at an anti-militant rally in northwestern Pakistan on Sunday, killing at least 14 people, including police officers, and wounding more than two dozen others, officials said.
The attack happened in Kabal, a town in Swat Valley in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where demonstrators had gathered near a police station, chanting anti-militant slogans and demanding peace, district police chief Omar Khan said.
According to witnesses, shortly before the attack, speakers at the rally said that ensuring security and eliminating militancy were the state’s responsibility. They also accused authorities of failing to act decisively against militants, saying residents wanted to live without fear after years of violence that devastated the region.
Bilal Faizi, a spokesman for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial emergency service, said the attacker struck dozens of people who were chanting anti-militant slogans and demanding peace.
Khan said at least nine civilians and five officers were among the dead.