16 killed in suicide attack on mosque at police facility in Kohat, Pakistan

At least 16 people, including five police officers and 11 civilians, were killed and more than 50 others injured on Friday when a vehicle laden with explosives rammed into a mosque at a police facility in Kohat, in Pakistan’s north-western Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, officials said.

The attack occurred during Friday prayers at the mosque inside or near the old Police Lines complex in Kohat, about 60 kilometres southwest of the provincial capital Peshawar. An explosives-filled vehicle struck the entrance or outer wall of the facility and detonated, causing significant damage including a crater and the collapse of part of a wall or the mosque structure. Gunmen accompanying the vehicle then opened fire, leading to an ongoing exchange of gunfire with security forces. One assailant, reported to be wearing an explosives-laden vest, was killed by police. A second suicide blast was also reported at a nearby Special Branch building during the confrontation.

Provincial police chief Zulfiqar Hameed confirmed the suicide nature of the attack and the casualties. Hospital officials reported that around 15 bodies and over 50 injured people were brought to the District Headquarters Hospital in Kohat, with some victims in critical condition; the death toll could rise. An emergency was declared at the facility, and rescue operations were under way.

No group immediately claimed responsibility in initial reports, though later accounts mentioned a claim by the little-known Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan, an alliance of militant factions. Both Islamic State affiliates and the Pakistani Taliban (TTP, sometimes referred to by authorities as Fitna al-Khawarij) are active in the region and have frequently targeted security forces. Militancy has surged in Pakistan’s border areas near Afghanistan in recent years, with Islamabad accusing Afghan Taliban authorities of allowing militants to operate from Afghan soil—a charge Kabul denies.

Pakistani officials strongly condemned the attack. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi called the targeting of civilians “deeply regrettable and unacceptable” and ordered a detailed report, while the interior ministry described the attackers’ actions as “cowardly” and said they would not weaken the nation’s resolve. Governor Faisal Karim Kundi also condemned the blast and prayed for the injured.

This is a developing story based on reports from Pakistani officials and local media.