Suicide bomber kills 14 at anti-militant rally in Pakistan's Swat Valley

A suicide bomber has targeted protesters at an anti-militant rally in north-western Pakistan, killing at least 14 people, mostly civilians and police officers, and wounding more than two dozen others, according to officials.

The attack happened in Kabal, a town in Swat Valley in 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 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.

Police official Omar Khan said at least nine civilians and five officers were among the dead.

Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the bombing, expressing deep sorrow over the loss of life.

In separate statements, they offered condolences to the families of those killed, prayed for the recovery of the wounded and directed authorities to ensure the wounded receive the best possible medical treatment.

Mr Zardari and Mr Sharif also said Pakistan's fight against terrorism would continue until it was eradicated.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also condemned the attack. In a statement, he extended condolences to the families of those killed and prayers for the speedy recovery of the wounded.

Suspicion lands on resurging Pakistani Taliban

The Swat Valley was once a stronghold of Islamic militants who imposed a strict interpretation of Sharia, or Islamic law, before the Pakistani military launched a major operation in 2007 that drove them out and restored government control.

However, militants have resurfaced in Pakistan's Swat Valley in recent months, fuelling fears that the Pakistani Taliban is seeking to regain a foothold in the region. In response, residents have repeatedly staged anti-Taliban rallies to protest the militants' presence across the valley.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing, but suspicion is likely to fall on the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP.

The TTP is separate from, but allied with, Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers. Many of its leaders and fighters have found sanctuary in Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power there in 2021.

Pakistan has long accused Afghanistan's Taliban government of harbouring TTP militants, an allegation Kabul denies.

Pakistan has experienced a surge in militant attacks in recent years, particularly targeting police and security forces.

On Friday, Pakistan's military spokesman Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry said Pakistan had recorded 3,145 "terrorism incidents" since January. He said Pakistan had killed 2,084 militants since January, while 819 Pakistanis, including soldiers, police officers and civilians, had been killed.

Chaudhry also said Afghanistan-based militants had carried out 28 suicide attacks in Pakistan since January and alleged that most were carried out by Afghan nationals or people associated with Afghanistan's security forces.

He said the TTP and other militant groups were carrying out attacks inside Pakistan with the support of Afghanistan's Taliban rulers and Pakistan would continue to target the TTP and its support infrastructure.