A suicide bomber detonated an explosive vest among wedding guests in northwestern Pakistan on Friday, killing at least seven people and wounding 25, police said. The attack occurred at the home of Noor Alam Mehsud, a pro-government community leader in Dera Ismail Khan, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to local police chief Adnan Khan.
Scene at the Wedding
Guests were dancing to the beat of drums when the bomber struck. Officers transported the victims to a hospital, where some of the wounded were listed in critical condition.
Investigation Points to Pakistani Taliban
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. Authorities suspect the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The group is separate from but allied with the Afghan Taliban, and has carried out numerous attacks in Pakistan in recent years.
Emboldened Since 2021
The TTP has been emboldened since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in neighboring Afghanistan in 2021. Many TTP leaders and fighters have found sanctuaries in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover.