At least 14 people were killed and more than 20 wounded on Sunday when a suicide bomber detonated his explosive vest at an anti-militancy rally in Pakistan’s northwestern Swat Valley.

The explosion occurred in the town of Kabal in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, near a police station and a busy intersection where local residents had gathered to demand peace and protest the resurgence of armed groups.

Police officials said the attacker attempted to enter the police station but was intercepted by officers at the main gate. He then detonated his explosives among the crowd.

Eight police officers were among those killed, while the remaining victims included civilians attending the rally and people near the intersection.

More than 20 wounded people were taken to nearby hospitals. Several were reported to be in critical condition, raising fears that the death toll could increase.

Police initially reported 13 deaths before officials confirmed an additional fatality. A separate body believed to belong to the attacker was also taken to hospital but was not included among the civilian and police victims.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing. Suspicion, however, has focused on the Pakistani Taliban, which has intensified attacks across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in recent years.

Local residents and civil society groups organized the rally to protest growing militant activity and demand stronger protection for communities in the region.

Speakers at the gathering reportedly criticized the government for failing to take sufficient action to prevent armed groups from returning to the Swat Valley.

The Pakistani Taliban once controlled large parts of Swat before being driven out during a major military campaign that began in 2007. A recent increase in attacks has renewed fears that militants are attempting to rebuild their influence in the area.

Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the bombing and pledged to continue operations against militant organizations.

In a separate attack, four police officers were wounded when an improvised explosive device detonated in Peshawar, the provincial capital. The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for that attack.

The two incidents came amid a sharp escalation in militant violence across Pakistan. According to figures released by the military, attacks and security operations have killed 819 security personnel and civilians since the beginning of the year.

Authorities have recorded more than 3,000 terrorism-related incidents during the same period and say security forces have killed more than 2,000 militants.

Islamabad has repeatedly accused Afghanistan’s Taliban government of allowing Pakistani Taliban fighters to use Afghan territory to plan attacks inside Pakistan. Kabul denies the accusations and maintains that the violence is an internal Pakistani issue.

The dispute has severely damaged relations between the neighbouring countries, leading to border clashes and Pakistani strikes inside Afghanistan that Islamabad said targeted militant positions.

The attack in Swat demonstrated how the danger now extends beyond government and security installations. The bomber also targeted residents who had gathered publicly to reject militant violence and demand peace.