At Least 21 Killed in Mosque Bombing and Gunfight in Kohat, Pakistan
A vehicle-borne improvised explosive device attack and subsequent gunfight at a mosque near police offices in Kohat, Pakistan, killed at least 21 people, mostly police officers. Six gunmen were killed during the exchange of fire, while suspicion falls on Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan.
At least 21 people were killed and 80 others wounded following a bombing at a mosque located near police offices in Kohat, northwestern Pakistan, on Friday. The attack involved an explosives-laden vehicle rammed into the mosque by an attacker, followed by an attempt by armed gunmen to storm the compound.
Most of those killed were police officers who had been attending prayers at the mosque when the explosion occurred. Security forces engaged the attackers in a gunfight, killing six of the seven armed gunmen who attempted to enter the police compound. Additionally, one suicide bomber attacked the nearby office of an intelligence agency.
The blast caused significant damage, with the outer wall of the police offices collapsing and smoke rising over the site. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack and directed authorities to accelerate rescue operations.
No group has immediately claimed responsibility for the incident, though suspicion is likely to fall on Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). This violence follows recent unrest in the region; the attack occurred just one day after a roadside bomb killed six soldiers in the Hangu district and government troops killed 10 militants in separate raids.