Suicide bombing at Pakistan police station kills 13, including 8 officers, during Swat protest
A suicide bomber detonated an explosive vest at a police station entrance in Swat district, killing 13 people and wounding 22 during a protest on Sunday.
The attack
A suicide bomber targeted a police station in the Swat district of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Sunday, striking as a protest was underway nearby. Local police official Fida Hussain told AFP that the attacker attempted to enter the station at a busy intersection but was stopped by officers at the main entrance.
A man tried to enter the police station at a busy intersection but was stopped by police at the main entrance.
He then detonated an explosive vest. The blast occurred in a crowded area, amplifying the casualties. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the Swat attack.
Casualties
Initial reports put the death toll at seven, but the figure rose as more information emerged. By late afternoon, police confirmed 13 people had been killed, including eight police officers. Another 22 people were wounded, with seven in critical condition according to Hussain. A body suspected to be that of the attacker was also taken to hospital.
Thirteen people, including eight police officers, were killed in the suicide attack.
The toll climbed from seven to nine and then to 13 within roughly 90 minutes of the first reports.
- 2026-08-02T15:27
- 7
- 2026-08-02T16:19
- 9
- 2026-08-02T16:45
- 13
Second blast in Peshawar
On the same day, an improvised explosive device detonated in the provincial capital Peshawar, wounding four police officers. The Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for that attack, according to the local police chief.
Broader insurgency
The Swat district lies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a province bordering Afghanistan where authorities are battling a growing insurgency by the TTP. A Pakistani military spokesman said on Friday that violence blamed on Islamist fighters and subsequent military operations had already killed 819 members of the security forces and civilians this year. Pakistan has long accused Afghanistan of harbouring militants who carry out cross-border attacks, a charge the Taliban government in Kabul denies. Those accusations have fuelled sharp tensions and armed clashes, including deadly Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan soil.
