Explosion took place near crowd rallying against a surge in violence in northwestern Pakistan.

A suicide bomber has killed at least 14 people and wounded others outside a police station in Pakistan’s Swat Valley, striking a crowd that had gathered to protest.

The bombing happened on Sunday evening in Kabal, a town in the valley in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, near the border with Afghanistan.

According to Swat District Police Officer (DPO) Umar Khan, the suicide bomber detonated explosives after police personnel attempted to stop and search him at the entrance of the police station.

Swat Deputy Inspector General of Police Fida Hussain said at least 22 people were wounded.

The blast occurred near hundreds of people who had gathered at a nearby intersection to demand government action against the region’s escalating violence.

The blast tore through the crowd as the final speaker was addressing the gathering, sending panicked residents fleeing the scene.

Khan said that security forces had cordoned off the area and opened an investigation.

The wounded were taken to a hospital in the nearby city of Saidu Sharif, some in critical condition, while police carried out a search operation in the area.

Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the attack, issuing a statement extending condolences to the families of those killed and prayers for the speedy recovery of the wounded.