16 Killed, 57 Injured in Kohat Police Lines Blast

Peshawar, The Gulf Observer: At least 16 people, including five police personnel, were killed and 57 others injured after a blast occurred at the Police Lines in Kohat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during Friday prayers, followed by an armed attack by militants.

According to police officials, the explosion took place at a mosque during Friday prayers, after which seven armed militants entered the Police Lines compound. Police said that six militants, including a suicide bomber, had so far been killed.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police said that initially, a suicide bomber detonated himself near the Special Branch building following the explosion.

The group Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan (IMP), reportedly operating under the leadership of Hafiz Gul Bahadur, who is based in Afghanistan, has claimed responsibility for the blast and the subsequent attack involving multiple militants.

Pakistan has repeatedly urged the Afghan Taliban authorities to prevent the use of Afghan territory for terrorist activities against Pakistan. However, concerns continue to persist over action by the interim authorities in Kabul against certain militant groups operating from Afghan soil.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police Director of Public Relations said in a statement that the operation against the militants had entered its final stages, while a clearance operation was continuing in the area under the direct supervision of Inspector General of Police Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Zulfiqar Hamid.

IGP Zulfiqar Hamid said that authorities were tracing the militants and their facilitators and that action would be taken to eliminate them. He said police and the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) were conducting an operation against what authorities described as “Fitna al-Khawarij” inside the Police Lines compound.

The police chief said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police remained firmly committed to combating terrorism and that such attacks would not undermine its resolve. He said the sacrifices of those killed would not go in vain and that militants and their facilitators would be brought to justice.

Earlier, Rescue 1122 spokesperson Bilal Ahmed Faizi said that more than 30 injured people and seven bodies had been shifted to nearby hospitals, adding that several of the injured were in critical condition. He said search and rescue operations were continuing at the scene.

According to the spokesperson, 14 ambulances, rescue vehicles, a recovery vehicle and more than 45 rescue personnel were participating in the relief operation.

District Emergency Officer Noor-ul-Amin was personally supervising the rescue activities. He said relief operations would continue until the operation was completed and that further details would be shared as more information became available.