KOHAT, PAKISTAN / RankWire.AI / – On September 18, a deadly attack targeted the Old Police Lines complex in Kohat, located in northwestern Pakistan. According to authorities, the incident claimed the lives of 23 individuals, including 17 police officers and six civilians. The assault was initiated during Friday prayers when an explosives-laden vehicle was detonated near the mosque inside the compound. Following the explosion, armed gunmen entered the premises and opened fire. Emergency services from Rescue 1122 transported the wounded to nearby hospitals, while security forces cordoned off the area and launched a clearance operation.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police reported that eight attackers were killed as security personnel conducted searches throughout the compound overnight. Fighting persisted within several buildings until officers managed to secure the facility on Saturday. The Old Police Lines serves as the district police headquarters and also houses units such as the Counter Terrorism Department and the Special Branch. Authorities indicated that the attackers reached different sections of the compound following the initial blast and exchanged gunfire with security forces during the operation.
Bilal Ahmad Faizi, spokesperson for Rescue 1122, stated that emergency teams retrieved 23 bodies and treated 91 injured individuals from the scene. As search efforts continued in damaged areas and hospitals received additional victims, the casualty figures were revised. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police later confirmed that among the dead were 17 police personnel and six civilians. Furthermore, officials reported damage to both government and private property around the complex due to the blast, gunfire, and grenade attacks.
Counter Terrorism Department initiates case following police complex assault
A case was opened by the Counter Terrorism Department at its Kohat police station in response to the attack. The initial report included charges related to terrorism, murder, attempted murder, and other offenses. The investigation indicates that the assailants drove an explosives-laden vehicle toward the mosque area before storming into the Police Lines armed with firearms and hand grenades. The suspects remain unidentified, and investigators have begun collecting evidence from the damaged sections of the compound.
Security personnel engaged the attackers as army units and Counter Terrorism Department teams moved through the site. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police later announced that the clearance operation concluded with all eight attackers being killed by security forces. The operation also cleared the Special Branch section, which had been breached during the assault. Authorities completed searches of the main buildings and surrounding zones before ending the operation and reopening the area to investigators and emergency responders.
Friday prayers disrupted by explosion and gunfire
The attack targeted one of Kohat’s primary police facilities while officers and worshippers gathered for Friday prayers. An explosion created a large crater near the mosque, damaging the prayer area. Gunfire persisted after the vehicle explosion as the attackers moved deeper into the compound. Security teams then undertook extensive room-to-room searches throughout the Police Lines before authorities declared the site secure on Saturday.
Responsibility for the assault was claimed by Shura Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen. However, the police case records unconfirmed attackers and does not specify individual suspects publicly. The Counter Terrorism Department continues its investigation of the bombing, gunfire, and grenade attacks as part of the case. Police also worked on identifying the deceased attackers after the operation, while documenting casualties and property damage across the Old Police Lines complex.
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