At least 31 people were killed and nearly 100 were injured in a suicide bombing attack targeting a mosque used by police officers and their families in Pakistan’s restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province during the Friday prayers.
An explosive-laden car rammed into the entrance of a mosque at 1.15pm local time in Kohat city when the place was packed with worshippers as Friday prayers were taking place at that time.
Subsequently, a gunfight broke out between armed attackers and security personnel as gunmen tried to enter the police compound.
Visuals of the mosque showed heavy damage to the structure, with the front section blown up and the site covered in rubble.
Among those killed, 15 were identified as police officials, as the mosque was at a police headquarters where police personnel and their families had come to offer prayers.
A faction of Pakistani Taliban, formally known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, claimed responsibility for the deadly attack.
Ittehadul Mujahideen, which means Mujahideen Alliance and is linked to Taliban commander Hafiz Gul Bahadur, claimed it carried out the suicide bomb attack.
At least seven armed gunmen attempted to enter the police compound and exchanged fire with officers. Six of the gunmen were killed, according to police, who said one suicide bomber attacked the nearby office of an intelligence agency.
Residents said the exchange of fire continued hours after the coordinated attack.
Prime minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack and expressed sorrow over the casualties. He directed authorities to accelerate rescue operations.
The attack happened in Kohat city, which is close to the Afghan border and also serves as a main route to Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan – areas that have seen deadly attacks in recent months.
The attack came a day after a roadside bomb struck a security forces convoy in the northwestern Hangu district, killing six soldiers.
Government troops also conducted raids in various areas on Thursday and killed 10 militants believed to be members of the Pakistani Taliban, the military and police said.
Pakistani Taliban have stepped up attacks on police and civilians in recent years. The group is separate from but allied with Afghanistan's Taliban, which returned to power in 2021.
Pakistan often accuses Kabul of sheltering the TTP and turning a blind eye to cross-border militant attacks. The government in Kabul has denied the allegations.
Tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan have remained high since Pakistan targeted alleged TTP hideouts in Afghanistan in 2025. The strikes triggered border clashes, prompting Qatar and Turkey to mediate a ceasefire. China later facilitated peace talks, but the two sides failed to reach an agreement.
In 2023, a suicide bomber killed 101 people in an attack inside a mosque in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
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