Swat blast claimed at least seven lives and left 18 others injured after a suicide bomber detonated explosives outside the main gate of Kabal police station in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Swat district on Sunday.

Swat District Police Officer (DPO) Umar Gandapur confirmed that seven people were killed, while 18 others sustained serious injuries in the explosion.

According to Malakand Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Syed Fida Hussain, the attacker attempted to enter the Kabal police station but a police officer stopped him before he could gain access. The suicide bomber then detonated the explosives at the station’s main entrance.

The DIG said the police lines facility and several other sensitive government buildings are located close to the police station, suggesting the attack could have caused significantly greater damage had the bomber entered the premises.

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Preliminary reports indicated that four police officers suffered serious injuries in the blast, while at least two civilians were also among the wounded.

Hussain added that a protest by local youths was taking place in the area, but the demonstration was located some distance away from the site of the explosion.

Bilal Ahmad Faizi, spokesperson for Rescue 1122 Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, said rescue teams shifted more than 15 injured people to nearby hospitals. He added that emergency response operations remained underway and authorities would release further details as information became available.

Security officials have launched an investigation into the attack as police secured the area and rescue workers continued relief efforts.