Islamabad, Jan 25 (NationPress) The number of fatalities resulting from the suicide bombing at a wedding in the Dera Ismail Khan region of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has tragically risen to seven, with an additional seven individuals sustaining injuries, according to local media reports on Sunday, as cited by police and Rescue 1122 officials.

The explosion struck the residence of Noor Alam Mehsud, the head of the Peace Committee in Dera Ismail Khan district, late on Friday night. Mehsud himself was among those injured during this devastating incident. Law enforcement reported that guests were engaged in traditional drum dancing when the blast occurred, triggered by a suicide bomber detonating explosives in a room, leading to part of the structure collapsing, as reported by the Pakistani daily Dawn.

Rescue 1122 officials indicated that multiple ambulances, along with fire and disaster response units, were dispatched to the explosion site promptly after reports emerged. The deceased and injured were transported to local hospitals, while rescue teams initiated operations to clear debris.

The district police chief, Sajjad Ahmed Sahibzada, mentioned that the head of the suicide bomber was discovered at the scene. Security forces established a perimeter around the area and commenced an investigation, while additional law enforcement personnel were deployed throughout the district.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Chief Minister Sohail Afridi vehemently condemned the bombing and requested an immediate report from the provincial police chief. He also instructed relevant authorities to guarantee that the injured receive optimal medical care.

Referring to the event as “unfortunate”, he assured that those accountable for the attack would be brought to justice, as reported by the Pakistani daily The Express Tribune.

The provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, which share borders with Afghanistan, have seen a significant rise in such attacks recently.

This incident is not the first targeting Mehsud, the head of the Mehsud Peace Committee in South Waziristan.

In 2022, two suicide bombers attempted to attack him at his office in Dera Ismail Khan; however, both assailants were killed outside the office and peace committee volunteers successfully thwarted the attack, according to The Express Tribune.

In December of the previous year, a bomb attack targeting a police vehicle in Dera Ismail Khan resulted in the deaths of three police officers.

Data from the Centre for Research and Security Studies revealed that Pakistan experienced an over 25 percent increase in overall violence last year, resulting in at least 3,187 fatalities and 1,981 injuries linked to violence involving civilians, security forces, and criminals.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa emerged as the most affected region, accounting for nearly 68 percent, or 2,165, of the country’s total violence-related fatalities and over 62 percent, or 732, of all reported incidents. In this province, deaths during security operations amounted to 1,370, surpassing fatalities from militant attacks, which numbered 795, by 72 percent.