Blast at Pakistan Police Lines Mosque Leaves 16 Dead and 50 Injured
Photo: Collected
At least 16 people, including five police officers, were killed and more than 50 others wounded in a devastating explosion at the Kohat Police Lines in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Friday.
The blast occurred inside a mosque within the police lines during midday prayers. The attack has been claimed by Ittehadul Mujahideen, a faction led by Hafiz Gul Bahadur.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hamid confirmed the death toll in an interview with the Pakistani newspaper Dawn, noting that over 50 people sustained injuries in the incident.
According to the police chief, a suicide bomber first rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the gate of the compound. Following the initial blast, several attackers attempted to move toward the Counter Terrorism Department building and were killed, while at least three others advanced toward the Special Branch building.
Security forces have launched an operation against the remaining attackers, Hamid added.
Television footage from the scene showed crowds gathered near the collapsed wall of a damaged building, working through the debris to clear the site and assist the wounded.
