Suicide bombing at Pakistani mosque in police compound kills at least 27
A suicide car bomb attack followed by a gun battle at a mosque inside a police station in Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killed at least 27 people on Friday. The dead included 15 police officers and six civilians, while about 75 others were injured. A faction of the Pakistan Taliban linked to commander Hafiz Gul Bahadur claimed responsibility for the attack.
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A suicide car bomb rammed into a mosque located inside a police station in Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province near the Afghan border, on Friday. The explosion occurred as worshippers gathered for Friday prayers, killing at least 27 people and injuring around 75 others, according to Al Jazeera.
Following the bombing, gunmen attempted to storm the police compound and exchanged fire with officers. Provincial police chief Zulfikar Hameed confirmed the attack took place. During the gun battle that followed, at least six attackers were killed. Of the confirmed dead, 15 were police officers and six were civilians. Medical officials reported that more than 50 injured people were taken to hospital.
The mosque sustained severe damage, and the outer wall of the police station collapsed. Ittehadul Mujahideen, a faction of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan linked to commander Hafiz Gul Bahadur, claimed responsibility for the attack.
Pakistani officials have long accused Afghanistan's Taliban government of allowing groups such as the TTP to operate from Afghan territory. Kabul denies this accusation.
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