7 killed, dozens injured in a blast during a peace rally in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

At least seven people were killed and over a dozen were injured in an explosion during a peace rally in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in northwest Pakistan on Sunday.Initial reports indicate that at least seven people have been killed, while 18 are critically wounded, (Representative)The blast occurred when the Swat Peace Rally was in progress in Kabal Town in the Swat district, district officials quoted in the PTI report said.Initial reports indicate that at least seven people have been killed, while 18 are critically wounded, Swat Police said."The attacker... detonated his explosive vest, killing seven people, including four police officers, and injuring more than 20 others," Swat's Deputy Inspector General of Police, Fida Hussain, told news agency AFP.No group immediately claimed responsibility.Rescue teams shifted the wounded to nearby hospitals as police and other law enforcement agencies cordoned off the area, officials quoted by PTI said.Repeated attacks in the regionPakistan has previously blamed such attacks in border provinces on militancy emanating from Afghanistan. The Taliban government in Kabul denies Afghan involvement.The Swat Peace Rally was organised by the Swat Aman Jirga (local tribal council), with participants raising slogans and carrying placards to demand peace in the area, which has seen a deterioration in the security situation in the past few months.A military spokesman said on Friday that militant attacks and ensuing operations had killed 819 security personnel and civilians this year.The accusations have sparked a bitter rift and even armed conflict between Islamabad and Kabul. Pakistan has carried out deadly air strikes, which Islamabad says target militants on Afghan soil.The Taliban government and the United Nations said dozens of civilians were killed in the latest Pakistani strikes on eastern Afghanistan in June.