KOHAT, PAKISTAN / RankWire.AI / – Pakistani authorities report that the attack on the Old Police Lines complex in Kohat, located in the northwestern Pakistan, on September 18 resulted in 23 fatalities, including 17 police personnel and six civilians. The assault was initiated during Friday prayers when an explosives-laden vehicle was detonated near the mosque within the compound. Subsequently, armed assailants penetrated the premises and opened fire. Emergency services from Rescue 1122 quickly transported the injured to hospitals, while security forces cordoned off the area and commenced a clearance operation.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police announced that during the night, security forces eliminated eight attackers as they conducted searches throughout the compound. The fighting persisted in multiple buildings until the authorities managed to secure the site on Saturday. The Old Police Lines complex serves as the district police headquarters and also accommodates the Counter Terrorism Department and the Special Branch. According to police, the assailants reached certain sections of the compound following the initial explosion and exchanged gunfire with security personnel during the ongoing operation.
Bilal Ahmad Faizi, spokesperson for Rescue 1122, stated that emergency teams transported 23 bodies and 91 injured individuals from the scene. The casualty figures were revised as teams continued to search damaged areas and hospitals reported additional victims. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police later confirmed that among the dead were 17 police personnel and six civilians. Officials also reported damage to both government and private properties around the complex due to the blast, gunfire, and grenade attacks.
Case Filed Against Perpetrators of Police Complex Assault
Following the attack, the Counter Terrorism Department initiated a case at its Kohat police station. The first information report included charges such as terrorism, murder, attempted murder, and related offenses. The complaint details that the attackers drove an explosives-laden vehicle toward the mosque area before breaching the Police Lines armed with firearms and hand grenades. Investigators have labeled the attackers as unidentified and have begun collecting evidence from the damaged parts of the complex.
Police officers engaged the assailants as army units and Counter Terrorism Department teams navigated through the premises. Later, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police confirmed that the security operation had concluded with all eight attackers being killed. The teams also cleared the Special Branch section, where gunmen had entered during the assault. Authorities wrapped up searches of main buildings and surrounding areas before ending the operation and reopening the site for investigators and emergency responders.
Friday Prayers Disrupted by Explosion and Gunfire
The attack struck one of Kohat’s primary police facilities during Friday prayers, a time when officers and worshippers had gathered. The explosion caused significant damage to the mosque area, leaving a large crater near the blast site. Gunfire persisted after the vehicle explosion as the attackers advanced further into the compound. Security teams then carried out thorough room-to-room searches across the Police Lines before officials declared the site secure on Saturday.
The Shura Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen claimed responsibility for the assault, although the police case identifies the attackers as unidentified and does not disclose individual suspects publicly. The Counter Terrorism Department continues to investigate the bombing, gunfire, and grenade attacks as part of the registered case. Meanwhile, police continued efforts to identify the deceased attackers following the operation, documenting casualties and property damage across the Old Police Lines complex.