14 killed in suspected suicide bombing outside police station in Pakistan

A rescue organization and a local police official in Pakistan said that at least 14 people were killed in what is suspected to be a suicide bombing on Sunday in front of a police station in the northwest of the country, which is grappling with an escalating insurgency.

The explosion occurred in Charsadda, in the Swat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Police supporters gathered in Charsadda on Sunday, but it remained unclear whether the attack targeted the gathering.

Fida Hussain, a police official in the area, said that among the dead were five police officers and eight civilians. He told Reuters that the 14th victim was believed to be the suicide bomber.

A police statement said that at least 18 people were injured. The statement indicated that an operation had begun to arrest anyone who may have assisted in carrying out the attack.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif expressed “deep sorrow and regret” over the suicide bombing in a statement.

Violence in Pakistan’s border regions has escalated sharply in recent months, primarily targeting the army and police.

The Pakistani government blames the Afghan Taliban for the escalation, accusing it of providing support to militants. The Taliban government denies these allegations.