Pakistan Mosque Blast: 21 Dead, 80 Injured In Attack On Kohat Police Compound

At least 21 people were killed and around 80 others injured after an explosives-laden vehicle struck a mosque inside a police compound in northwestern Pakistan during Friday prayers, followed by an attempted armed assault on the facility, officials said. Most of those killed were police personnel attending prayers.

The attack took place in Kohat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, an area near the Afghan border that has witnessed a rise in militant violence. Provincial police chief Zulfiqar Hameed said the attacker apparently rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the mosque.

At least seven armed attackers then attempted to enter the police compound and exchanged fire with security personnel. Police said six of the attackers were killed during the ensuing operation. A suicide bomber also targeted an office of an intelligence agency located nearby.

The police facility houses counterterrorism personnel who have conducted operations against militants across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Police Among Those Killed

Hospital and police officials said most of the victims were police officers who had gathered at the mosque for Friday prayers. Pakistani reports put the number of police personnel killed at 15, while later local reports said more than 100 people may have been injured, indicating that casualty figures were still being updated.

The powerful blast caused extensive damage to the mosque and surrounding police facilities. Images from the scene showed collapsed walls, shattered concrete and debris scattered across the compound.

Residents reported hearing the explosion from a considerable distance, followed by prolonged exchanges of gunfire as security forces attempted to clear the area.

Shehbaz Sharif Condemns Attack

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack and expressed condolences to the families of those killed and injured. He also directed authorities to accelerate rescue and relief operations.

The attack initially had no confirmed claim of responsibility, although suspicion quickly focused on militant groups operating in the region. Subsequent Pakistani reports said the Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan (IMP), led by Afghanistan-based militant commander Hafiz Gul Bahadur, claimed responsibility.

Attack Comes Amid Rising Militancy

The Kohat assault came a day after a roadside bomb struck a security forces convoy in neighbouring Hangu district, killing six soldiers.

Pakistani security forces have also intensified counterterrorism operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Officials said troops and police killed militants in separate operations in the region in recent days.

Militant violence has increased in Pakistan in recent years, particularly in areas bordering Afghanistan. The Pakistani Taliban, or Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), has frequently targeted police, military personnel and civilians.

In 2023, a suicide bombing at a mosque in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killed more than 100 people.

Pakistan-Afghanistan Tensions

The latest attack comes amid strained relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan over allegations of militant safe havens.

Islamabad has repeatedly accused Afghanistan’s Taliban government of allowing TTP members to operate from Afghan territory and conduct cross-border attacks. Kabul has rejected the allegations.

Pakistan carried out strikes against alleged TTP targets in Afghanistan in 2025, triggering border clashes and prompting mediation efforts involving Qatar and Türkiye. China later facilitated talks between the two sides, but they failed to produce a lasting agreement.

Türkiye Pushes For Dialogue

The Kohat bombing also came shortly after Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin met Pakistani and Afghan officials as part of efforts to ease tensions between the two neighbours.

Kalin met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and intelligence chief Lt. Gen. Asim Malik, according to Türkiye’s state-run Anadolu Agency.

He also held discussions with officials in Kabul. Afghan Taliban spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat said the talks addressed tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Kalin said Türkiye would continue efforts to help resolve the dispute through dialogue.

The latest violence, however, highlights the continuing security challenges facing Pakistan’s northwestern region and the difficulty of containing militant activity amid unresolved tensions along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.