Death toll from northwest Pakistan suicide bombing climbs to 16

The death toll from a suicide bombing outside a police station in northwestern Pakistan has climbed to 16, an official said on Monday.

The bombing occurred on Sunday in Kabal town in the scenic Swat valley in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province when a suicide bomber, who acted alone, blew himself up when he was intercepted by police personnel while trying to enter the police station, provincial police chief Zulfikar Hameed told reporters.

The fatalities included seven policemen, he added.

Another 21 were injured in the bombing.

Pakistan's northwestern and southwestern regions have seen an uptick in militant attacks in recent years, for which Islamabad blames Afghanistan-based militants affiliated with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.

Kabul denies the accusation.