At least 16 people were killed and 56 others injured in a devastating bomb blast that struck a mosque near a police facility in northwestern Pakistan on Friday. The incident took place in Kohat, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province adjacent to Afghanistan. According to Zulfiqar Hameed, the provincial police chief, the explosion occurred when an attacker drove an explosives-laden vehicle into the mosque.
Among the casualties were five police officers and 11 civilians, as confirmed by hospital officials, with many of the wounded individuals being worshippers, some of whom are in critical condition. Additionally, two armed assailants reportedly tried to breach the police compound, leading to a firefight with officers.
Photographs depicting the aftermath of the attack revealed significant damage to the mosque and the collapsed outer wall of the police offices. Witnesses reported hearing the explosion from a considerable distance, followed by gunshots. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif denounced the assault and instructed authorities to expedite rescue efforts.
While no group has claimed responsibility for the bombing, suspicions point towards the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), due to the escalating violence in the region. The attack coincided with increased military operations targeting militants, following a recent bombing that killed six soldiers in the Hangu district.
The Pakistani Taliban, distinct from Afghanistan’s Taliban but sharing ideological ties, has intensified its assaults on both law enforcement and civilians in recent years. In a notable 2023 incident, a suicide bombing in a Peshawar mosque claimed the lives of 101 individuals. Pakistan has accused Kabul of harboring TTP members and ignoring cross-border militant activities, allegations that the Afghan government has refuted.
