KOHAT — A coward militant attack on Old Police Lines in Kohat on Friday caused bloodshed at place of worship, killing at least 21 people and injuring more than 100, according to later police and health officials.
What started with explosion quickly escalated into a gun battle as armed militants attempted to storm police facility, triggering major counter-operation involving police, the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and other security personnel.
یہ ہوتی ہے قیادت اور یہ ہوتا ہے عزم۔ پاک فوج اور پولیس کی اعلی ترین قیادت اپنے سپاہیوں کے ساتھ میدان میں موجود اپنے شیر دل سپاہیوں کی راہنمائی اور حوصلہ افزائی کر رہی ہے۔
یہ جذبہ اور جنون صرف اللہ کے سپاہیوں کو ہی نصیب ہوتا ہے https://t.co/FqQfen6h0q pic.twitter.com/1tBMKyCJVI
— Eagle Eye (@zarrar_11PK) September 18, 2026
As the operation continued, sources said Major General Shahid Amir Afsar, Garrison Officer Commander of 9 Infantry Division Kohat, was personally present at the Police Lines, overseeing the response. Security forces moved to secure the compound while police and CTD teams conducted a clearance operation against the attackers.
18 ستمبر 2026
کوہاٹ، خیبر پختونخوا
کوہاٹ پولیس لائنز مسجد پر حملے کے بعد سیکیورٹی فورسز نے حملہ آوروں کو گھیر لیا۔ جی او سی (GOC) 9 ڈویژن نے بذاتِ خود موقع پر فورسز کی قیادت کی۔
سیکیورٹی فورسز دہشت گردی کے خلاف متحد اور ملک کے دفاع کے لیے پرعزم ہیں pic.twitter.com/9wihXb4wTI— AliOfficial99K (@Ali21kx) September 18, 2026
The operation continued for several hours, with reports around 3:30 p.m. indicating that the clearance effort had entered its final stage. Later reports said the operation had been completed.
The first and most devastating phase of the attack involved an explosives-laden vehicle, described in reports as a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) or suicide car bomb. The vehicle was driven toward the outer wall or gate of the compound near the mosque.
The blast ripped through the boundary wall and severely damaged the mosque. Parts of the structure collapsed, a crater was reported at the site, and debris was scattered across the compound and surrounding area.
The force of the explosion also damaged nearby buildings. At the time, worshippers were gathered for Friday prayers. Police officers, members of police families and civilians were among those present.
The bombing was followed by a second phase of the attack. Armed militants attempted to enter the compound and opened fire on police and CTD personnel. According to reports, some attackers moved toward the CTD building, while others attempted to reach the Special Branch building.
A further suicide explosion occurred near the Special Branch facility during the confrontation. Reports described one attacker detonating explosives and another as carrying an explosives-laden vest. The assault subsequently developed into a prolonged firefight between the militants and security personnel.
Seven Attackers Reportedly Killed
Later reports indicated that approximately seven militants participated in the attack. The group reportedly included the suicide bomber who used the vehicle, armed gunmen and a militant described as a sniper.
All seven attackers were eventually reported killed during the explosions and ensuing gun battle. Initial reports had referred to six attackers, but later accounts said the clearance operation confirmed a seventh militant. No arrests of the attackers were reported.
The casualty figures changed dramatically throughout the day. Initial reports put the death toll at 16, with approximately 57 people injured. Later police and health-authority figures raised the toll to at least 21, including 15 police personnel and six civilians. Among those named in various reports were SP Traffic Akbar Shinwari and Dr. Israel Khan Orakzai, described as a senior district health official and paediatrics specialist.
Other reported victims included Inspector FRP Ishtiaq, Fahim of FRP, operator Farid, driver Samiullah, CTD official Asmatullah, Abdul Wahab and a four-year-old child among the civilians. The number of wounded also climbed as hospitals received more victims. One detailed count put the number of injured at 103, including 73 police personnel and 30 civilians.
DHQ Hospital Kohat and Liaquat Memorial Hospital received large numbers of victims. Several injured people were reportedly in critical condition. Some were transferred to hospitals in Peshawar, while others required major surgical procedures, including laparotomy.
Earlier assessments indicated that around 15 or more victims were critically injured. Rescue 1122 teams worked through the damaged site as casualties were pulled from the rubble. More than 30 injured and deceased people had been transported from the scene in ambulances during the initial rescue operation.
The emergency response involved 14 ambulances, rescue and recovery vehicles, and more than 45 rescue personnel.
The Hangu-Kohat Road was closed to traffic, while an emergency was declared at local hospitals.
Terror organisation Ittehadul Mujahideen, also referred to as Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen or the Mujahideen Alliance, claimed responsibility for the attack. Reports linked the group to Taliban commander Hafiz Gul Bahadur, whose faction operates in the region and has been associated with militant networks linked to the Pakistani Taliban and related groups.
Pakistani authorities commonly refer to militants involved in such attacks as Fitna al-Khawarij.
Kohat attack comes amid continuing militant violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, particularly in areas close to Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan. Security forces and police have repeatedly been targeted in the province.
The attack triggered strong condemnation from Pakistani officials and international representatives.
The latest bloodshed occurred at a location with a history of militant violence. A 2010 attack in the same Kohat Police Lines area killed approximately 20 people, most of them reportedly relatives of police personnel.
At least 15 martyred, several injured in blast near Kohat Police Lines mosque
