Death toll in Kabal suicide bombing rises to 17; Chief Minister, IGP visit Swat, JIT announced

SWAT: The death toll from the suicide bombing at the main gate of Kabal Police Station in Pakistan’s northwestern Swat district has risen to 17 after two more injured victims succumbed to their wounds, officials said on Monday.

The deceased include seven police personnel and 10 civilians, while more than 23 injured people remain under treatment at various hospitals. Funeral prayers for the victims were offered before they were laid to rest in their native villages. Markets across Kabal remained completely shut as residents observed a day of mourning.

Police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against unidentified terrorists at the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Police Station in Kabal. The case includes charges of murder, attempted murder, and terrorism-related offences under Pakistan’s Anti-Terrorism Act.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the suicide bomber used between six and eight kilograms of explosives.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Zulfiqar Hameed paid an emergency visit to Swat following the attack. He visited the injured police personnel and civilians receiving treatment at Saidu Sharif Teaching Hospital, inquired about their condition, praised their courage, and wished them a speedy recovery.

The IGP also directed doctors and medical staff to ensure the best possible treatment for the injured. Additional Inspector General CTD, Regional Police Officer Malakand, and District Police Officer Swat accompanied him during the visit.

Later, the IGP chaired a high-level security meeting at the Regional Police Office Malakand to review the overall law and order situation in the region and assess the progress of the investigation into the attack, including efforts to identify the perpetrators and their facilitators.

Officials informed the meeting that the suicide bomber had been identified and that investigators were using modern forensic and technological methods to expedite the probe. The IGP instructed authorities to ensure the swift arrest of everyone involved and bring them to justice.

Speaking to reporters, Zulfiqar Hameed announced that a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) would be constituted to investigate the bombing. He said the families of the fallen police personnel would receive the full martyrs compensation package.

He added that stringent security arrangements had already been in place due to potential threats and that police officers displayed exceptional bravery by preventing the suicide bomber from reaching the main target, thereby averting even greater casualties. He reaffirmed that terrorists would not be allowed to regroup and said police continue to receive modern weapons, equipment, and operational support.

Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Suhail Khan Afridi arrived in Swat along with Special Assistant for Home Tariq Saeed, Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah, and the provincial police chief. The chief minister met the families of the victims, offered condolences, and prayed for the departed. He also visited the injured at Saidu Sharif Teaching Hospital and directed hospital authorities to ensure they receive the best available medical care.

The chief minister later chaired a high-level meeting on the security situation in Swat, where he was briefed on the bombing, the region’s overall security environment, and the ongoing counterterrorism operations.

Addressing the meeting, Afridi said the people and police of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were paying the price for what he described as the federal government’s flawed security policies. However, he stressed that the sacrifices made by police personnel and innocent civilians in the fight against terrorism would not go in vain.

He called for unity among the public, police, and all political and religious stakeholders to defeat terrorism, describing the current campaign as a decisive phase in eliminating the threat. The chief minister said the provincial government was providing all necessary resources to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police and the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), including a Rs20 billion allocation to strengthen the police force’s operational capacity.

Reaffirming his government’s commitment to restoring peace, Afridi expressed confidence that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would overcome the security challenge and declared that the 2026–27 fiscal year would be a year of peace, development, and prosperity for the province.