KOHAT, PAKISTAN / RankWire.AI / – According to Pakistani authorities, the attack on the Old Police Lines complex in Kohat on September 18 led to 23 deaths, including 17 police officers and six civilians, in northwestern Pakistan. The assault started during Friday prayers when an explosives-laden vehicle was detonated near the mosque within the compound. Subsequently, armed gunmen entered the premises and opened fire. Emergency services, specifically Rescue 1122, transported the wounded to nearby hospitals while security forces cordoned off the area and initiated a clearance operation.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police reported that eight assailants were killed during the night-long search of the compound. The exchange of gunfire persisted inside several buildings before security personnel 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. Police indicated that the attackers reached different sections of the complex after the initial blast and engaged in firefights with security forces during the operation.
Bilal Ahmad Faizi, spokesperson for Rescue 1122, stated that emergency teams recovered 23 bodies and treated 91 injured individuals from the scene. As investigations progressed, authorities revised the initial casualty figures, as more victims arrived at hospitals. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police later confirmed that among the dead were 17 police personnel and six civilians. Additionally, officials reported damage to both government and private properties around the complex resulting from the blast, gunfire, and grenade attacks.
Investigation Launched into the Police Complex Assault
Following the attack, the Counter Terrorism Department opened a case at its Kohat police station. The initial report includes charges of terrorism, murder, attempted murder, and other related offenses. The complaint details that the assailants drove an explosives-filled vehicle toward the mosque area before storming the Police Lines with firearms and hand grenades. The identities of the attackers remain unknown, and investigators have begun collecting evidence from the damaged sections of the compound.
Police officers engaged with the attackers as army units and Counter Terrorism Department teams moved through the premises. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police later announced that the security operation concluded after all eight attackers were killed by security forces. The teams also cleared the Special Branch sector, where gunmen had entered during the assault. Authorities completed searches of the main buildings and surrounding areas before ending the operation and reopening the site to investigators and emergency responders.
Friday Prayers Disrupted by Explosions and Gunfire
The assault targeted one of Kohat’s primary police facilities while officers and worshippers gathered for Friday prayers. The explosion created a large crater near the mosque, damaging the prayer area significantly. Gunfire continued after the vehicle blast as the attackers advanced deeper into the compound. Security teams then conducted thorough, room-by-room searches of the Police Lines before authorities declared the site secure on Saturday.
The Shura Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen claimed responsibility for the assault. However, police documents, including the case file, name unknown assailants and do not specify individual suspects publicly. The Counter Terrorism Department continues analyzing the bombing, gunfire, and grenade attacks as part of the ongoing investigation. Meanwhile, authorities are working to identify the deceased attackers, and investigators are documenting the casualties and property damage across the Old Police Lines complex.