A suicide bomber detonated an explosive vest during a wedding celebration in northwest Pakistan on Friday, killing at least seven people and injuring 25 others, police said.
The attack occurred at the home of Noor Alam Mehsud, a pro-government community figure, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province’s Dera Ismail Khan district, close to the border with Afghanistan. Police chief Adnan Khan said the victims were taken to hospital, where several of the wounded were reported to be in a critical condition.
Police official Muhammad Adnan said the explosion tore through a building housing members of a peace committee. Peace committees consist of local residents and elders and are supported by Islamabad to counter Islamist militants in regions along the Afghan border.
Three people were confirmed dead on Friday, and four of the injured later died in hospital, according to police. Witnesses said some of the guests were dancing to drum music when the attacker struck.
No group has immediately claimed responsibility, but suspicion is expected to fall on the Pakistani Taliban (Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan), which has carried out numerous attacks across the country. The group has been emboldened since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021.
