At least 21 people were killed and 80 others injured in a terrorist attack that took place on Friday in northwestern Pakistan. The incident occurred at a mosque near police offices in Kohat, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan. Gunmen tried to storm the compound while a vehicle bomb exploded, causing widespread destruction.
According to Zulfiqar Hameed, the provincial police chief, the attacker drove an explosives-laden vehicle into the mosque, targeting police officers who were attending prayers. Hospital officials confirmed that most of the casualties were police officers who had been inside the mosque during the attack. Additionally, seven armed gunmen attempted to enter the police compound and engaged in a firefight with officers. Six of the gunmen were killed, and one suicide bomber targeted an intelligence agency office nearby.
The police compound housed counterterrorism police who had been actively conducting operations against militants in the region. Photos from the scene revealed significant damage to the mosque and police offices, with the outer wall collapsed. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack and urged swift rescue operations to be carried out.
While no group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, suspicion pointed towards the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). This incident followed a recent surge in violence in the region, with security forces actively targeting militants. The Pakistani Taliban has been responsible for numerous attacks on police and civilians in recent years, including a deadly suicide bombing in Peshawar in 2023.
Tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan have remained strained, with allegations of cross-border militant activities. Recent mediation efforts by Qatar, Turkey, and China have aimed to ease tensions between the two countries, but so far, no concrete resolution has been achieved. Friday’s bombing occurred shortly after a meeting between Turkish intelligence officials and Pakistani authorities, where efforts to de-escalate tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan were discussed.