A blast during Friday prayers
A high-powered bomb detonated Friday at a mosque located close to a building housing police offices in northwestern Pakistan, leaving at least 16 people dead and 50 wounded, police and rescue officials said. Bilal Faizi, a senior rescue official, said the attack took place in Kohat, a district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that borders Afghanistan. Most of the injured were worshippers who were at the place of worship, Faizi said. Doctors and hospital authorities warned that some of those affected were in critical condition, raising fears the toll could rise.[S1]
Zulfiqar Hameed, the provincial police chief, said an attacker apparently rammed the mosque with a vehicle loaded with explosives, though officers were still investigating at the time of the first reports. At least two armed men also tried to break into the police compound and exchanged gunfire with officers, according to local police. Victims were taken to a nearby hospital, where authorities declared a health emergency to handle the mass influx of wounded. The force of the explosion was so intense that it badly damaged nearby shops and homes.[S1]
Gunfire, rescues and official reaction
The attack shook Kohat district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province when a vehicle full of explosives hit a mosque during Friday prayers, leaving at least 16 people dead, including five police officers, according to police sources. The incident occurred while the mosque was packed with worshippers. After the explosion, an intense gunfight broke out between the attackers and security forces, who were still carrying out operations in the area. Images from the scene showed the scale of the blast: the outer wall of the complex housing the police offices had collapsed and the mosque suffered severe damage. A column of smoke rose over the area and, according to witnesses and residents, the detonation was heard from a great distance, followed by several gunshots.[S2]
Besides the attacker who used the vehicle, at least two armed men tried to enter the police compound and exchanged fire with officers. The clash took place as security forces deployed an operation to control the area and help those affected. According to an officer who took part in the operation, one of the attackers died in the gunfight. Authorities sent rescue teams to assist the wounded and secure the area. President Asif Ali Zardari issued a statement in which he sent his best wishes for the speedy recovery of those injured in the explosion.[S2]
A day of violence and a wider insurgency
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack and expressed his grief for the victims in a statement issued by his office. He instructed authorities to step up rescue operations, provide medical care to the wounded and assist those affected. The attack came one day after a roadside bomb hit a convoy of security forces in the northwestern district of Hangu and killed six soldiers. The same Thursday, government troops carried out operations in various areas and killed 10 militants allegedly linked to the Pakistani Taliban, according to the army and local police.[S1]
Pakistani Taliban militants have intensified their attacks on police and civilians in recent years. In 2023, a suicide bombing killed 101 people inside a mosque in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The group is separate from, though allied with, the Afghan Taliban, who retook power in 2021. Pakistan frequently accuses Kabul of giving refuge to the TTP and tolerating cross-border attacks. The Afghan government has rejected those accusations. The attack occurred during Friday prayers, one of the times of greatest attendance at mosques. The death toll could rise, since security forces were still confronting the attackers and rescue work continued. Kohat lies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a province bordering Afghanistan that in recent years has recorded numerous episodes of violence linked to insurgent groups.[S1][S2]
