KOHAT, PAKISTAN / RankWire.AI / – The death toll from the September 18 assault on Kohat’s Old Police Lines has increased to 23, comprising 17 police officers and six civilians, as reported by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police and Rescue 1122. The attack unfolded during Friday prayers when an explosives-laden vehicle detonated close to a mosque within the police compound. Subsequently, armed assailants entered the premises and began firing. Rescue units rushed numerous injured individuals to hospitals while security personnel sealed off the area.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police confirmed that security forces neutralized eight attackers during the ongoing clearance operation, which extended overnight into Saturday. After fierce gun battles inside the complex, officers managed to secure key structures. The Old Police Lines complex functions as the district police headquarters and houses the Counter Terrorism Department, the Special Branch, and other police units. According to police, the assailants reached parts of the complex after the initial explosion and continued firing from within the premises.
Bilal Ahmad Faizi, spokesperson for Rescue 1122, stated that teams transported 23 bodies and 91 injured individuals to hospitals following the attack and subsequent operation. The death toll was revised multiple times as responders searched damaged areas of the compound and hospitals treated casualties. Later, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police identified 17 of the victims as police personnel and six as civilians. Additionally, police reported destruction to government and private property around the site.
Police open terrorism case following Kohat attack
The Counter Terrorism Department filed an FIR at its Kohat police station after the incident. The charges include terrorism, murder, attempted murder, among others. The report states that attackers employed a vehicle packed with explosives to target the mosque area, then engaged in gunfire and threw hand grenades while entering the Police Lines. The case has been registered against unidentified assailants, with investigators beginning to analyze evidence from the scene.
According to the report, police personnel faced off with the attackers as army units and Counter Terrorism Department teams moved into the complex. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police later confirmed that the clearance operation had concluded and that eight attackers had been killed. Security forces also cleared the Special Branch section, which had been penetrated during the attack. The operation wrapped up after authorities secured the principal buildings and conducted searches throughout the compound for any remaining threats.
Extended Security Operations Follow Mosque Bombing
The assault targeted one of Kohat’s primary police facilities during Friday prayers, a time when officers and worshippers were gathered at the mosque. The explosion caused significant damage to the mosque and created a large crater at the site of impact. Gunfire persisted after the blast as attackers moved deeper into the complex. Security personnel then carried out room-to-room searches before declaring the operation closed on Saturday.
The Counter Terrorism Department claimed responsibility for the attack. Meanwhile, the police FIR was registered against unidentified suspects and does not publicly specify individual identities. Investigators from the Counter Terrorism Department continue examining evidence related to the bombing, gunfire, and grenade attacks. They also documented damage to government and private property within the Police Lines area. Police noted that identification efforts of the attackers persisted after the clearance, with the case covering terrorism, murder, and attempted murder.