A suicide bomber set off an explosive vest during a wedding gathering in northwest Pakistan on Friday, killing at least seven people and injuring 25 others, according to police.
The attack occurred at the home of Noor Alam Mehsud, a pro-government community figure, in Dera Ismail Khan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, local police chief Adnan Khan said. The victims were taken to a hospital, where several of the wounded were reported to be in critical condition.
Witnesses said guests were attending the celebration, with some dancing to drum music, when the attacker struck.
No group immediately claimed responsibility, but suspicion is expected to fall on the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has carried out numerous attacks across the country in recent years. The group is allied with, though separate from, the Afghan Taliban.
TTP has been emboldened since the Afghan Taliban retuned to power in neighboring Afghanistan in 2021 when U.S. and NATO troops left the country after 20 years of war. Many TTP leaders and fighters have found sanctuaries in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover there.
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