ISLAMABAD, Aug. 3– The death toll from a suicide blast on Sunday in Pakistan’s northwestern Swat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has risen to 19, officials said on Monday.
Swat police spokesperson Nasir Iqbal Karimi told local media that a suicide bomber had detonated his explosives at the main gate of a police station after being intercepted by a policeman, killing 15 people, including police personnel, while leaving over 20 others injured.
“Four more victims succumbed to their injuries during treatment on Monday, raising the death toll to 19,” said the official, adding that the remaining injured are being treated in various hospitals in the district and an investigation into the deadly bombing is underway.
The banned militant group Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan claimed the attack.
In a statement, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed the concerned authorities to ensure the provision of the best medical facilities to the injured.
He reaffirmed the government’s unwavering commitment to continuing the fight until it eliminates terrorism from the country. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
