Suicide bombing and gun attack on Pakistani police headquarters kill at least 31

A suicide vehicle laden with explosives rammed into the entrance of a mosque located inside a police headquarters compound in Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, during Friday prayers. Gunmen subsequently stormed the Old Police Lines complex, which contains the Counter Terrorism Department, Special Branch and other police units. The initial assault was followed by an extended gun battle, with militants remaining entrenched inside the Special Branch section more than a day later and gunfire continuing overnight. The death toll reached at least 31 people, comprising 16 police officers, and more than 100 were injured. 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. Pakistani officials have accused Afghanistan's Taliban government of permitting such groups to operate from Afghan territory, a charge Kabul has denied. The attack ranks among the deadliest incidents to strike Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in recent years during an escalating insurgency in the province.