Islamabad: A suicide explosion at a mosque near a police facility in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province claimed at least 21 lives, including 16 policemen, during Friday prayers. Several others were injured in the blast, which took place near the old Police Lines in Kohat district.
The powerful explosion triggered panic in the area as worshippers gathered for Friday prayers. Videos and photographs circulating on social media showed damaged walls and buildings following the blast, while people were seen rushing to rescue those trapped or injured.
Rescue teams from the local administration and police reached the site soon after the explosion. Rescue 1122 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa spokesperson Bilal Ahmad Faizi said teams were carrying out rescue operations and the injured had been shifted to nearby hospitals for treatment.
No militant organisation has officially claimed responsibility for the attack so far. However, some unverified reports have attributed the blast to Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan (IMP), a militant outfit formed in April last year. The group is reported to be opposed to Pakistani security forces and in conflict with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remains a major security hotspot
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has witnessed repeated militant attacks in recent years, particularly involving the TTP and other armed groups operating in the region.
According to a study by Pakistan’s Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (ICSS), the IMP has been linked to several attacks, including suicide bombings, in North Waziristan since its emergence. The study also noted that members loyal to Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA), another faction opposed to the TTP, could join the IMP.
The province has remained a major battleground between Pakistani security forces and militant organisations. Repeated clashes and attacks have resulted in hundreds of deaths over the years.
The latest mosque blast came on the same day that Pakistani security forces claimed to have killed 10 TTP militants in two separate operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
According to Pakistan’s military media wing, six militants were killed when security forces targeted a hideout in North Waziristan. In a separate operation in Hangu district, four more militants were reportedly killed. The operations were conducted between Tuesday and Thursday, officials said.
