At least seven people have been killed following a suicide bombing at a wedding in northwestern Pakistan, police said on Saturday, highlighting the country’s growing struggle with militant violence.
The attack occurred on Friday in Dera Ismail Khan district, near the Afghan border, when a suicide bomber struck a building hosting a wedding ceremony. The venue was also housing members of a local peace committee, according to police official Muhammad Adnan.
Three people were confirmed dead on Friday, while four others later died in hospital, bringing the death toll to seven. Nearly a dozen people were injured in the blast.
Peace committees are made up of local elders and residents and are backed by the Pakistani government as part of efforts to counter Islamist militancy in border regions.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. However, the Pakistani Taliban (Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan) has previously labelled peace committee members as traitors. The group, an alliance of several Sunni militant factions, has been fighting the Pakistani state since 1997 and seeks to impose its strict interpretation of Islamic law.
Pakistan has accused the Afghan Taliban of allowing Pakistani militants to operate from Afghan territory, a claim denied by Kabul, which says militancy in Pakistan is an internal issue.
The attack adds to concerns over a rising wave of militant violence in Pakistan, particularly in areas
