Suicide Car Bomb Attack on Mosque in Pakistan Kills at Least 21
A suicide car-bomb attack on a mosque within a police compound in Kohat, north-western Pakistan, has killed at least 21 people and injured more than 100. Authorities suspect Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) involvement, with six attackers killed during the assault.
At least 21 people were killed and more than 100 others injured in a suicide car-bomb attack on a mosque located within a police compound in north-western Pakistan. The incident occurred in the city of Kohat, in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The attack took place during Friday prayers at approximately 13:15 local time (08:15 GMT). A vehicle loaded with explosives rammed into the entrance of the mosque. During the assault, gunmen also fired on the police facility. At least six attackers were killed in the explosion and the subsequent gun battle.
Among the victims were fifteen police officers and a four-year-old child. The destruction left the mosque site covered in rubble.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police suggested that a faction of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) carried out the attack. The TTP was established in 2007.
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari expressed wishes for the recovery of the injured and called for the elimination of foreign-backed terrorists. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres strongly condemned the bombing, stating that attacks on civilians and places of worship are unacceptable.
This incident follows a series of violent events in the region. In February, officials accused the Pakistani Taliban of being behind several attacks, including a suicide bombing of a Shia mosque in Islamabad that killed more than 30 people. Islamabad claims militants use Afghanistan as a safe haven to train and plan attacks, a claim denied by Afghanistan's Taliban government.