Swat, August 2, 2026: At least seven people were killed and 18 others injured in a suicide bombing outside the Kabal Police Station in Swat on Sunday, police said.
According to Swat District Police Officer (DPO) Umar Khan, the suicide bomber detonated explosives after police personnel attempted to stop and search him at the entrance of the police station.
“According to initial information, seven people have been killed, and 18 others are injured,” the DPO said, adding that police remained on high alert following the attack.
He said security forces had cordoned off the area, while investigators were collecting evidence to determine the circumstances surrounding the bombing.
The explosion occurred near the gate of the police station as hundreds of people were participating in a public demonstration at nearby Kabal Chowk against the recent surge in terrorism in the Swat Valley.
The powerful blast caused multiple casualties, triggering an immediate response from police, rescue teams and local authorities. The injured were shifted to Saidu Sharif Teaching Hospital for medical treatment, while security personnel launched a search operation in the surrounding area.
Witnesses said the attack took place as the final speaker was addressing the gathering, causing panic among participants. No group had claimed responsibility for the bombing at the time of filing this report.
Before the blast, speakers at the protest condemned the resurgence of terrorism in Swat and urged the government to ensure lasting peace in the region. They said their movement was solely focused on restoring peace and eliminating terrorism.
The speakers stressed that maintaining law and order and eradicating terrorism were the state’s responsibility, warning that continued insecurity could fuel wider public unrest.
They also criticised the authorities for what they described as action against peaceful citizens while militants continued to operate in the mountainous areas of Swat. They questioned why stronger action had not been taken despite militants allegedly circulating videos on social media.
“Our children deserve education, and our families deserve to live in peace,” one speaker told the gathering.
“We have witnessed years of bloodshed. Our mothers, sisters and daughters have suffered immensely, and we do not want another generation of widows and orphans,” the speaker added.
The attack came hours after an improvised explosive device (IED) blast near the Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway toll plaza injured two policemen in Peshawar. It also follows the July 30 terrorist assault on a police checkpost in Hangu that claimed the lives of nine police personnel.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has witnessed a sharp rise in terrorist violence in recent weeks. According to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), the province, excluding the merged districts, recorded 154 terrorism-related deaths in July, compared with 75 in June, representing an increase of 105 per cent.
