ISLAMABAD: The death toll has risen to 21, including 15 police officials, following the deadly attack on Kohat Police Lines on Friday, as the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) continued its operation against terrorists inside the compound.
More than 80 people were also injured in the attack, with three of them reported to be in critical condition, according to local health officials.
The attack began when an explosives-laden vehicle detonated near a mosque in the police lines, followed by terrorists storming the compound and attacking police facilities, according to senior police and district health officials.
The death toll in Kohat bomb blast has risen to twenty-one, including fifteen police personnel@GovtofPakistan #RadioPakistan #News #KohatBlasthttps://t.co/GQ9mt1xp2J pic.twitter.com/Nh87E6xNtW
— Radio Pakistan (@RadioPakistan) September 18, 2026
Police officials among dead
SP Traffic Akbar Shinwari and Dr Israel Orakzai, head of the children’s department at DHQ KDA Kohat, were among those martyred in the attack, officials said.
The blast and subsequent assault caused heavy casualties, while the presence of attackers inside the compound led security forces to launch a clearance operation.
According to police, at least one attacker was still holed up inside the compound as security personnel continued efforts to clear the area.
The CTD said the Additional Inspector General (IG) CTD reached the site of the Kohat attack as the operation continued.
An exchange of fire between CTD personnel and the terrorists is ongoing, the department said. The Additional IG had himself entered the site to participate in the operation and lead the personnel engaged in the clearance operation, according to the CTD.
Terrorists target mosque
Terrorists targeted a mosque in Pakistan’s northwestern Kohat district during Friday prayers on Friday, killing at least 15 people and injuring more than 50 in a suicide bombing, according to hospital officials and police.
The attack took place in the Police Lines area, where an explosives-laden vehicle was rammed into the mosque wall, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police Zulfikar Hameed told Geo News.
Police blamed the bombing on Fitna al-Khawarij, a term used by Pakistani officials for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The bombing struck during Friday prayers, targeting worshippers and civilians in and around the mosque. Police personnel were also among those injured.
District Headquarters Hospital Medical Superintendent Tahir Ali Shah told Geo News that 15 bodies had been brought to the hospital along with more than 50 injured people following the explosion.
Mosque targeted
The blast caused extensive damage to the mosque’s outer section and brought down a wall, while a crater was formed outside the mosque, according to police and rescue officials.
Several shops in the surrounding area were also destroyed or badly damaged.
The outer wall of the Police Lines also collapsed in the explosion, while additional police contingents were deployed in the area following the attack.
The attack on a mosque during Friday prayers underscores the indiscriminate nature of terrorism, with worshippers and civilians among those caught in the blast.
Casualties rise
The casualty figures increased as rescue teams transported victims from the scene to hospitals.
Rescue 1122 spokesperson Bilal Ahmed Faizi initially said more than 30 injured people and seven bodies had been transported to hospital by ambulances.
Hospital authorities later reported that 15 bodies had been received and more than 50 injured people were being treated.
The DHQ Hospital administration imposed an emergency as medical teams treated the large number of casualties arriving from the blast site.
Rescue teams continued operations at the scene, while security personnel cordoned off the area and began investigating the attack.
The bombing comes as security forces continue counter-terrorism operations across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Officials earlier said that security forces had killed 10 terrorists in separate operations in the province during the last two days
