KOHAT, PAKISTAN / RankWire.AI / – According to Pakistani officials, the attack on September 18 at the Old Police Lines in Kohat, located in northwestern Pakistan, resulted in 23 fatalities, including 17 police officers and six civilians. The assault was initiated during Friday prayers with a vehicle laden with explosives near the mosque inside the premises. Following the blast, armed assailants entered the area and opened fire. Rescue teams from Rescue 1122 evacuated the injured to hospitals, while security forces cordoned off the scene and launched a thorough clearance operation.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police reported that eight attackers were killed during the night-long search of the compound. Gunfights persisted within several structures before the security forces secured the facility on Saturday. The Old Police Lines compound serves as the district police headquarters and hosts the Counter Terrorism Department and the Special Branch. Authorities stated that after the initial explosion, attackers advanced into parts of the complex, exchanging gunfire with security personnel during the operation.
Bilal Ahmad Faizi, spokesperson for Rescue 1122, said emergency teams recovered 23 bodies and treated 91 injured individuals from the scene. The casualty toll was updated as teams examined the damaged areas and hospitals received additional victims. Later, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police confirmed that among the dead were 17 police officers and six civilians. The authorities also reported destruction of government and private property around the complex due to the blast, gunfire, and grenade attacks.
Counter Terrorism Department Files Case Following Kohat Police Complex Assault
A case was registered by the Counter Terrorism Department at their Kohat police station, involving charges of terrorism, murder, attempted murder, and related crimes. The initial report states that the attackers drove a vehicle packed with explosives toward the mosque before breaching the Police Lines armed with firearms and grenades. The suspects remain unidentified, with investigators beginning evidence collection from the damaged site.
Security personnel faced off with the attackers as army units and CTD teams moved through the premises. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police later announced that the operation concluded after all eight assailants were killed. They also cleared the Special Branch area, where gunmen had entered during the assault. Following thorough searches of main buildings and adjacent zones, authorities reopened the site to investigators and emergency responders.
Friday Prayers Disrupted by Explosion and Firearms in Kohat
The attack targeted a key police installation during Friday prayers, with officers and worshippers present. The explosion created a large crater near the mosque and damaged the surrounding area. Gunfire continued after the vehicle blast as the attackers moved deeper into the compound. Security teams then conducted extensive room-to-room searches before the site was declared secure on Saturday.
The militant group Shura Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen claimed responsibility for the assault. However, the police case lists unidentified suspects and does not specify individual identities in the public record. The Counter Terrorism Department is still investigating the bombing, gunfire, and grenade attacks as part of the case. Meanwhile, authorities are working to identify the dead attackers and are documenting casualties and property destruction across the Old Police Lines complex.