Pakistan Kohat mosque blast near police lines kills 21, wounds over 100

Peshawar,UPDATED: Sep 18, 2026 22:36 IST

At least 21 people, most of them policemen, were killed and more than 100 others injured after militants drove an explosives-laden vehicle into a mosque near police lines during Friday prayers in Pakistan's Kohat district and then attacked nearby police facilities, officials said.

The attack took place in Kohat, around 60 kilometres southwest of Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Officials said seven armed militants entered the old police lines and security forces engaged them in a gun battle. A little-known group, Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan, later claimed responsibility for the attack.

Kohat Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Tahir Shah said 21 people, including 15 policemen, were killed and 103 others were injured in the explosions. Of those injured, 73 were policemen and 30 were civilians, he said. Among those killed was Dr Israel Khan Orakzai, Chief District Specialist at Liaquat Memorial Hospital, Geo News quoted him as saying. Rescue officials said most of those killed and injured were police personnel offering Friday prayers at the mosque.

Video footage from the site showed the bodies of worshippers lying inside the mosque. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hamid said an explosives-laden vehicle rammed into the gate of the old police lines, causing an explosion, after which firing took place. "The vehicle hit the gate and then exploded, and firing also took place," Hamid said, adding that another suicide blast occurred at the Special Branch building during the exchange of fire with the terrorists.

The blast left a crater outside the mosque, badly damaged its exterior and caused a wall to collapse. Rescue officials said nearby buildings were also damaged. According to the Central Police Office in Peshawar, six militants, including suicide bombers and snipers, have so far been killed. Security officials said the area had been cordoned off.

Dr Shah said 13 injured people were admitted to Liaqat Memorial Hospital, while 90 others were taken to the District Headquarters Hospital, where an emergency was declared. Rescue 1122 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa spokesperson Bilal Ahmad Faizi said rescue teams reached the site soon after receiving information and began an operation. Police said the Kohat-Hangu Road had been closed to traffic and additional police contingents had been deployed near the police lines.

After the attack, Hamid sought a report from the district's regional police officer and directed authorities to ensure timely and the best possible medical treatment for the injured. "Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police stands as an iron wall against terrorism, and such cowardly attacks cannot weaken our resolve," he said. President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the incident and said the complete elimination of foreign-sponsored terrorists was "essential for national security". Sharif also sought a report on the blast and directed authorities to speed up relief operations, according to Radio Pakistan. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi condemned the blast and said the "entire nation stands with the security forces to eradicate terrorism". Provincial Chief Minister Sohail Afridi also sought a report from the police chief.

The attack in Kohat left at least 21 people dead, injured more than 100 others, damaged the mosque and nearby buildings, and triggered a security operation in which officials said six militants were killed, as Pakistan continues to face a rise in terror activities, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

With PTI Inputs

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