PESHAWAR, Pakistan — A suicide bomber attacked an anti-militant rally in northwestern Pakistan on Monday, killing at least 14 people, most of them civilians and police officers, and wounding more than two dozen others, officials said. The explosion struck as protesters gathered to demonstrate against militant violence in the country’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a region that has experienced a resurgence in extremist attacks in recent years.
Emergency services rushed the injured to nearby hospitals, while security forces cordoned off the area and launched an investigation. Authorities warned that the death toll could rise because several of the wounded were reported to be in critical condition.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing. However, suspicion is likely to fall on militant organizations that have carried out similar attacks in Pakistan’s northwest, including factions of the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and other extremist groups operating near the Afghan border.
Pakistan has seen an increase in militant violence since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in neighboring Afghanistan in 2021. Islamabad has repeatedly accused militant groups of using Afghan territory as a base to launch attacks, an allegation the Taliban administration denies.
The latest bombing underscores the persistent security challenges facing Pakistan, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and neighboring Balochistan, where militants frequently target security personnel, government institutions and civilians. The attack is also expected to renew calls for stronger counterterrorism measures and enhanced protection for public gatherings. Authorities condemned the attack and vowed to bring those responsible to justice as investigators worked to determine how the bomber gained access to the rally.
