At least 14 killed, 18 wounded in suicide bombing outside Pakistan police station

A suspected suicide bombing outside a police station in northwestern Pakistan killed at least 14 people and wounded 18 on Sunday, according to a rescue group and a regional police official. The explosion occurred in the Kabal area of Swat district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. A pro-police rally of local residents was taking place in the same area on Sunday, but it was not immediately clear whether the rally was the intended target. Fida Hussain, a regional police official, said the victims included five police officers and eight civilians; the 14th person was believed to be the suicide bomber. At least 18 people were wounded, according to a police statement, which said an operation had been launched to arrest anyone who may have assisted the attack. Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif expressed "deep grief and sorrow over the suicide blast." The report notes that terrorism in Pakistan's border areas has risen sharply in recent months, targeting mainly the military and police. The Pakistani government blames the Afghan Taliban for the escalation, accusing it of providing support to the terrorists; the Taliban government has denied the accusations.