Pakistan Police Station Suicide Bombing Death Toll Rises to 17

Islamabad — The death toll from a suicide bombing outside a police station in Pakistan’s northwestern Swat district has risen to 17 after two injured officers died at a hospital, local media reported Monday.

The latest deaths brought the number of police officers killed in the attack to seven. Thirteen other injured officers remained hospitalized, according to Samaa TV.

The bombing occurred near the entrance of the Kabal Police Station in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where hundreds of people had gathered for a public demonstration at nearby Kabal Chowk, the Dawn newspaper reported.

Swat District Police Officer Umar Khan said the suicide bomber detonated explosives after officers attempted to stop him at the station’s entry gate. Security forces cordoned off the area and opened an investigation.

The attack comes amid an increase in violence targeting law enforcement personnel in Pakistan, particularly in the border provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

On July 22, a police constable was shot and killed by unidentified assailants in the Sarvekai area of Upper South Waziristan district.

The officer, who was assigned to the Sarvekai police station, was traveling to report for duty when gunmen opened fire near a stream in the Moley Khan Sarai area. He died before medical assistance arrived.

Police collected evidence from the scene and launched a search operation to identify and arrest the attackers. Authorities said the case was being investigated from several angles. (Source: IANS)