A suicide bomber strikes an anti-militant rally in northwestern Pakistan, killing at least 14

A suicide bomber struck an anti-militant rally in Kabal, a town in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, killing at least 14 people and wounding more than two dozen others, according to officials. The attack took place in front of a police station, where demonstrators were chanting anti-militant slogans and demanding peace. At least five police officers were among the dead, while the wounded were being treated at local hospitals.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing, but many suspect the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), due to their history of targeting security forces and government buildings in the region. The Swat Valley was once a stronghold of Islamic militants who imposed a strict interpretation of Sharia law before being driven out by a military operation in 2007.

However, many TTP leaders and fighters have since taken refuge in Afghanistan, where the Taliban's return to power in 2021 has allowed them to regroup. Pakistan has long accused Afghanistan's Taliban government of harboring TTP militants, an allegation denied by Kabul. In recent years, Pakistan has experienced a surge in militant attacks, with many targeting police and security forces.