A SUSPECTED suicide bombing outside a police station in northwestern Pakistan killed at least 17 people on Sunday, according to a rescue group and a regional police official, as the country continues to face insurgent attacks.
The blast happened in the Kabal area of Swat district in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
A pro-police rally involving local residents was being held in the same area on Sunday. It was not immediately clear whether the rally was the intended target.
The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan militant Islamist group claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement.
According to a spokesperson for Rescue 1122, at least 34 people were injured in the explosion.
The rescue official said the death toll increased to 17 from 14 after three victims died in hospital. Those killed included seven police officers and 10 civilians. One of the dead was believed to be the suicide bomber, regional police official Fida Hussain told Reuters.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif expressed "deep grief and sorrow over the suicide blast" in a statement.
Police said they had launched an operation to arrest anyone who may have helped carry out the attack.
Militancy in Pakistan's border areas has increased in recent months, with attacks mainly targeting the military and police.
The Pakistani government has blamed the Afghan Taliban for the rise in violence, accusing it of supporting the militants. The Taliban government has denied the accusations.
(With inputs from agencies)
