Deadly Attack on Kohat Police Lines Mosque Kills 21, Injures 103

DID Press: At least 21 people, including 15 police personnel and six civilians, were killed and 103 others injured in a suicide bombing and armed assault at a mosque inside the Police Lines compound in Kohat, Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, during Friday prayers on September 18.

According to an initial report from Kohat District Headquarters Hospital, the explosion occurred at around 1:20 p.m. at a mosque in the Police Lines on Hangu Road. Following the blast, armed attackers entered the compound and exchanged fire with security forces. Pakistani police said seven attackers were involved and six, including the suicide bomber, were killed.

Of the 103 injured, 73 were police personnel and 30 were civilians. Ninety injured people were taken to Kohat District Headquarters Hospital, while 13 were transferred to Liaquat Memorial Hospital. Among those killed was Dr. Israel Khan Aurakzai, a paediatrician and chief district specialist at Liaquat Memorial Hospital.

The group calling itself Ittehadul Mujahideen Pakistan (IMP), led by Hafiz Gul Bahadur, has claimed responsibility for the attack, according to Pakistani media. The claim has not been independently verified.

The attack comes amid heightened tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan over militant activity. Islamabad has repeatedly called on the Taliban authorities in Kabul to prevent Afghan territory from being used for attacks inside Pakistan. Taliban authorities had not publicly commented on the Kohat attack or the group’s claim of responsibility at the time of reporting. Reuters reported that Pakistani authorities have previously accused militants of operating from sanctuaries in Afghanistan, allegations rejected by the Taliban government.