At least 27 people, including five police officers, have been killed and 57 others injured in a suicide bombing and subsequent gun battle at a mosque inside a police compound in Kohat, northwestern Pakistan.
The deadly attack occurred on Friday during prayers at the mosque located within the Old Police Lines in Kohat, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan.
According to Pakistani police and rescue officials, a suicide bomber drove an explosives-laden vehicle into the compound’s outer wall before the explosion rocked the area. The blast was followed by an armed assault as gunmen attempted to enter the police facility, triggering an intense exchange of fire with security personnel.
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Initially, the number of people who died were put at 16 by several news agencies including Reuters, however Al-jazeera Media network reported the death toll has risen to 27.
The casualties were particularly heavy, with five police officers and 22 civilians confirmed dead, while 57 people sustained injuries.
Rescue officials said most of those wounded were worshippers, with some reportedly in critical condition, raising concerns that the death toll could increase.
The blast caused extensive damage to the mosque and surrounding police facilities, with part of the compound’s boundary wall collapsing. Rescue workers rushed to the scene, pulling victims from the debris and transporting the injured to hospitals for emergency treatment.
Police said seven armed attackers were involved in the assault. All seven were reported killed during the explosion and the ensuing gun battle, according to Pakistani security officials.
The attack has further highlighted the deteriorating security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which has experienced a surge in militant attacks targeting police, military personnel and civilians.
No group initially claimed responsibility. Reuters reported that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) subsequently denied involvement in the attack, while other Pakistani reports said the Hafiz Gul Bahadur-led Ittehadul Mujahideen claimed responsibility. These claims remain subject to independent verification.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack and expressed condolences to the families of those killed, while directing authorities to accelerate rescue operations.
Security forces subsequently cordoned off the area and launched search operations around the police compound.
The attack comes amid heightened tensions and renewed militant violence in Pakistan’s northwestern border region, where authorities have repeatedly accused militant groups of operating from sanctuaries across the Afghan border. Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities have rejected Pakistan’s accusations and described militancy as Pakistan’s internal security problem.
With 27 confirmed dead and 57 injured, the Kohat attack ranks among the latest major incidents to inflict heavy casualties on both security personnel and civilians in Pakistan’s troubled northwest.