Car bomb kills 16 near police facility in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
A vehicle loaded with explosives reportedly rammed into the gate of the Old Police Lines in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Kohat area. The explosion created a crater outside a mosque, damaged its exterior and caused a wall to collapse.
At least 16 people, including five police personnel, were killed, and several others injured after a suicide attacker rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a police facility in Kohat city of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Friday, during Friday prayers, news agency PTI reported, citing Pakistan’s Geo TV.
The attack took place near the Old Police Lines, where a mosque is located inside the police facility. Police said the attacker drove the vehicle into the outer wall of the compound while police personnel, their family members and other civilians were offering prayers at the mosque.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police chief Zulfikar Hameed said the incident was a suicide attack. Gunmen accompanying the vehicle also opened fire after the explosion, triggering an exchange of gunfire with security personnel, according to news agency Reuters.
A police statement said the gun battle continued after the blast and that one attacker wearing an explosives-laden vest was killed.
Local authorities said security forces and Counter Terrorism Department personnel were engaged in an operation inside the police lines compound. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.
The powerful explosion damaged the mosque and nearby structures, with part of a wall collapsing. The blast also created a crater in the area. Rescue teams rushed to the scene and began evacuating the injured.
SECURITY FORCES CORDON OFF AREA
Kohat’s District Headquarters Hospital declared an emergency following the incident as casualties were brought in for treatment.
Reports said dozens of people were injured, with some in critical condition. Rescue 1122 deployed ambulances, rescue and recovery vehicles and more than 40 personnel for relief operations.
Authorities cordoned off the Old Police Lines and closed the Kohat-Hangu Road to traffic as search and clearance operations continued. Additional security personnel were deployed around the area.
Pakistan’s Interior Ministry condemned the attack, saying the actions of the attackers would not weaken the country’s resolve.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also expressed grief over the casualties and directed authorities to provide immediate medical treatment to the injured, Reuters reported.
The attack comes amid a sharp rise in militant violence in Pakistan’s border regions, particularly Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where security forces and police have increasingly been targeted.
Islamabad has accused militants of using safe havens in Afghanistan to train and plan attacks in Pakistan.
Afghanistan’s Taliban government has denied the allegation and has described militancy in Pakistan as an internal issue. Authorities are continuing to investigate the attack and identify those responsible.