KOHAT, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: At least 17 people were killed and 73 injured in the Kohat Police Lines attack during Friday prayers on September 18, according to the latest official casualty figures.
Police said an attacker rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the Police Lines compound near a mosque, causing part of the structure to collapse. Earlier official reports had put the toll at 16 dead and more than 50 wounded.
Five police personnel were among those killed, while many of the wounded were worshippers, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hameed told local media.
Heartbreaking visuals from Kohat, KPK Police Lines mosque 💔🇵🇰
An Afghan suicide bomber again targeted a mosque in Pakistan, killing worshippers.
This must not go unanswered. All parties must sit together, end useless protests, and take action. People first, politics later. pic.twitter.com/wbckejUkj6
— Zard si Gana (@ZardSi) September 18, 2026Police said seven armed attackers attempted to enter the compound following the explosion. Security personnel and the Counter-Terrorism Department engaged them in a gunfight, killing six attackers, while a search operation continued for any remaining assailants.
The Police Lines complex also houses Counter-Terrorism Department and Special Branch facilities. Authorities sealed routes around the site as rescue teams moved casualties to hospitals and security personnel searched the compound.
KOHAT, KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA
At Jumma (Friday) prayers at the Police Lines Mosque today, a Suicide Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosives Device (SVBIED) blew up against the mosque, causing significant damage and casualties.
The Ittehad Mujahideen Pakistan (IMP) Afghanistan-based… pic.twitter.com/fFaX2vV6yg
— The STRATCOM Bureau (@OSPSF) September 18, 2026President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack. The prime minister ordered authorities to expedite rescue operations, provide medical treatment to the injured and submit a report on the circumstances of the bombing.
Read: Family of Eleven Drowns in Basement Flood in Kohat District
The attack came a day after six security personnel were killed when an improvised explosive device struck a security forces convoy in nearby Hangu district.
