- At least 21 people were killed in the Kohat attack.
- Fifteen of those killed were police personnel.
- More than 100 people were injured, according to local officials.
- An explosives-laden vehicle struck the Old Police Lines during Friday prayers.
- Militants later exchanged fire with police inside the compound.
At least 21 people, including 15 policemen, were killed and more than 100 others were injured Friday (18) after militants attacked a mosque near the Old Police Lines in Kohat district in northwestern Pakistan, according to Pakistani officials.
The attack took place during Friday (18) prayers in Kohat, about 60 kilometers southwest of Peshawar, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. An explosives-laden vehicle was driven into the gate of the Old Police Lines, triggering a powerful explosion. A subsequent exchange of gunfire took place between police and armed militants.
Kohat Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr. Tahir Shah said 21 people were killed, including 15 police personnel, while 103 others were injured. Of those injured, 73 were policemen and 30 were civilians, he said.
Among those killed was Dr. Israel Khan Orakzai, a senior doctor at Liaquat Memorial Hospital, according to local media reports.
The blast caused extensive damage to the mosque and nearby police facilities. A crater was left outside the mosque, while part of a wall collapsed in the explosion.
Army personnel stand amid the rubble following an explosion inside the police headquarters at Kohat in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on September 18, 2026. An explosion at a historic police headquarters in northern Pakistan on September 18 killed at least eight people and wounded 35 more, officials said, with the country's president swiftly blaming a militant group. Getty Images
Militants storm police compound
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hamid said an explosives-laden vehicle rammed into the gate of the Old Police Lines before exploding.
"The vehicle hit the gate and then exploded, and firing also took place," Hameed said, adding that another suicide blast occurred at the Special Branch building during the exchange of fire with terrorists.
According to the Central Police Office in Peshawar, seven armed militants entered the police lines after the initial explosion. Police and Counter-Terrorism Department personnel engaged them in a gun battle.
Six militants, including suicide bombers and snipers, were reported killed during the security operation. Pakistani officials said the area was subsequently cordoned off as security forces continued clearance operations.
Rescue teams reached the scene shortly after the attack. Thirteen injured people were taken to Liaquat Memorial Hospital, while another 90 were transported to District Headquarters Hospital, where an emergency was declared.
The Kohat-Hangu Road was also closed to traffic, and additional police contingents were deployed around the police lines.
Mourners read the holy Quran while sitting around the grave of a paramilitary personnel of the Frontier Corps (FC) who was killed during the Afghanistan-Pakistan border clashes, in Kohat on October 17, 2025. A ceasefire along the frontier between Afghanistan and Pakistan was holding on October 16, officials on both sides said, after dozens of troops and civilians were killed in cross-border clashes.Getty Images
Group claims responsibility
A little-known militant group, Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the attack, according to the report. The group was formed in April 2025 and is described as an alliance involving the Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group, Harakat Inqilab-e-Islami Pakistan and Lashkar-e-Islam.
The attack came as Pakistan continues to face militant violence, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. The northwestern province has experienced repeated attacks against police and security personnel in recent years.
Pakistani leaders condemn attack
Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari and prime minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack and called the elimination of what they described as foreign-sponsored terrorists essential for national security.
Sharif also sought a report from the authorities and directed officials to speed up rescue and relief operations, state-run Radio Pakistan reported.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi also condemned the attack, saying the "entire nation stands with the security forces to eradicate terrorism.”
Provincial Chief Minister Sohail Afridi sought a report from the police chief following the blast.
Police chief Hameed said the attack would not weaken the province's security forces.
"Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police stands as an iron wall against terrorism, and such cowardly attacks cannot weaken our resolve,” he said.
The casualty figures in early reports varied as hospitals continued receiving victims, but Pakistani officials subsequently confirmed at least 21 deaths and more than 100 injuries.
