KOHAT, PAKISTAN / RankWire.AI / – According to Pakistani officials, the attack on the Old Police Lines in Kohat on September 18 resulted in 23 fatalities, including 17 police officers and six civilians. The assault was launched during Friday prayers when an explosives-laden vehicle was driven near the mosque within the complex. Following the explosion, armed gunmen entered the premises and opened fire. Emergency services from Rescue 1122 transported the wounded to nearby hospitals, while security forces cordoned off the area and initiated a clearance operation.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police reported that eight assailants were killed as security personnel conducted a thorough search of the compound throughout the night. The fighting persisted inside several structures until officers secured the site on Saturday. The Old Police Lines serves as the district police headquarters and is also the location of the Counter Terrorism Department and the Special Branch. Authorities stated that after the initial blast, attackers reached other sections of the compound and exchanged gunfire with security forces during the operation.
Bilal Ahmad Faizi, spokesperson for Rescue 1122, confirmed that emergency teams recovered 23 bodies and treated 91 injured individuals from the scene. As search efforts continued and more victims were brought to hospitals, the casualty toll was revised. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police later verified that among those killed were 17 police officers and six civilians. The authorities also reported destruction of both government and private property in the vicinity due to the blast, gunfire, and grenade attacks.
Counter Terrorism Department launches investigation into police complex assault
Following the attack, the Counter Terrorism Department filed a case at its Kohat police station. The initial report included charges of terrorism, murder, attempted murder, and other related offenses. The complaint describes how the attackers drove a vehicle filled with explosives toward the mosque area before entering the Police Lines armed with firearms and hand grenades. The assailants remain unidentified, and investigators have begun gathering evidence from the damaged compound.
Police officers engaged with the assailants as army units and Counter Terrorism Department teams moved through the site. Later, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police announced that the security operation concluded with the killing of all eight attackers. Teams also secured the Special Branch section, which had been breached during the assault. Authorities completed searches of the main buildings and surrounding sections before ending the operation and allowing access for investigators and emergency responders.
Attacks disrupt Friday prayers amid gunfire and explosions
The assault targeted a major police installation in Kohat during Friday prayers. Officers and congregants gathered at the mosque when the explosion tore through the area, creating a large crater near the blast site. Gunfire persisted even after the vehicle explosion, as terrorists moved deeper into the compound. Security personnel then conducted systematic room-to-room searches across the Police Lines before declaring the site secure on Saturday.
The militant group Shura Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen claimed responsibility for the attack. However, the police case only identifies the attackers as unknown individuals and does not specify any suspects publicly. The Counter Terrorism Department continues to analyze the bombing, gunfire, and grenade attacks as part of the ongoing investigation. After the operation, authorities also identified the dead attackers and documented casualties and damage to property within the Old Police Lines complex.