Islamabad Aug 3 (SANA)At least 17 people, including seven police officers, were killed and 34 others wounded in a suspectedsuicide bombingoutside a police station inPakistan‘s northwesternKhyber Pakhtunkhwaprovince on Sunday, according to local officials.

The explosion struck the Kabal area in Swat district, where a pro-police rally attended by local residents was taking place. Authorities have not yet confirmed whether the rally was the intended target of the attack, while rescue teams rushed to the scene to evacuate the injured and transport them to nearby hospitals.

According to Reuters, the death toll rose from 14 to 17 after three of the wounded succumbed to their injuries. Officials said the victims included seven police officers and 10 civilians, adding that one of those killed is believed to have been the suicide bomber.

TheTehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan(TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement. Police said a security operation had been launched to identify and arrest anyone suspected of assisting in planning or carrying out the bombing.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack, expressing deep sorrow over the loss of life and reaffirming the government’s determination to continue efforts to combat terrorism and bring those responsible to justice.

The bombing comes amid a sharp rise in militant violence across Pakistan’s border regions in recent months, with attacks increasingly targeting security forces. Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Afghan Taliban administration of providing support to militants operating inside Pakistan, allegations that Kabul has consistently denied.kA.ABD