In Pakistan, at least 14 people, including five security men, were killed and over a dozen injured in a suicide attack on a police station during a peace rally in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province yesterday. The explosion occurred when the Swat Peace Rally was in progress right across the police station in Kabal town in Swat district.
No group or individual has claimed immediate responsibility for the attack. Nine bodies were shifted to Central Hospital Saidu Sharif, while doctors at Kabal Hospital confirmed five more fatalities, taking the total number of confirmed deaths to 14, a Rescue 1122 Swat spokesperson said.
The Swat Peace Rally was organised by Swat Aman Jirga (local tribal council), with participants raising slogans and carrying placards to demand peace in the area. They alleged that police inaction has resulted in deterioration in the security situation in the past few months.
According to the District Police Officer of Swat, the suspected suicide bomber attempted to enter the Kabal Police Station and Police Lines compound but was intercepted by police personnel at the main gate. The attacker then detonated the explosive device, damaging the main gate and preventing entry into the heavily secured compound. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Suhail Afridi strongly condemned the blast and asked the Inspector General of Police to file a report on the incident.
