KOHAT, PAKISTAN / RankWire.AI / – Pakistani officials report that 23 individuals lost their lives during the September 18 assault on the Old Police Lines facility in Kohat, located in northwestern Pakistan. The casualties include 17 police officers and six civilians. The attack was initiated during Friday prayers when an explosives-laden vehicle was detonated near the mosque inside the compound. Subsequently, armed assailants entered the premises and opened fire. Rescue 1122 teams transported the injured to hospitals, while security personnel cordoned off the area and commenced a clearance operation.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police confirmed that eight attackers were killed as security forces carried out searches throughout the compound overnight. Clashes persisted within several buildings before the authorities managed to secure the site on Saturday. The Old Police Lines serves as the district police headquarters and is also home to the Counter Terrorism Department and the Special Branch. Police reports indicate that after the initial explosion, the attackers reached different sections of the compound and exchanged gunfire with security forces during the operation.
Bilal Ahmad Faizi, spokesperson for Rescue 1122, stated that emergency services transported 23 bodies and 91 injured individuals from the scene. The casualty figures were updated as teams examined the damaged areas and hospitals received additional victims. Later, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police verified that among the dead were 17 police personnel and six civilians. Authorities also reported damage to both government and private property surrounding the complex due to the blast, gunfire, and grenade attacks.
Investigation Launched Following Police Complex Assault
The Counter Terrorism Department filed a case at its Kohat police station related to the attack. The initial report included charges of terrorism, murder, attempted murder, and other offenses. According to the complaint, the assailants drove an explosives-packed vehicle towards the mosque area before storming the Police Lines with firearms and grenades. The attackers remain unidentified, and investigators have begun collecting evidence from the damaged sections of the compound.
Security forces, including police, the army, and Counter Terrorism Department units, engaged with the attackers as they moved through the site. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police later announced that the clearance operation concluded with the death of all eight assailants. The teams also cleared the Special Branch section, which had been entered during the attack. After completing searches of the primary buildings and surrounding areas, authorities reopened the site to allow investigators and emergency responders access.
Friday Prayers Disrupted by Explosion and Gunfire
The assault targeted one of Kohat’s principal police facilities during Friday prayers, when officers and worshippers were gathered. The explosion created a significant crater near the mosque area and damaged the structure. Following the vehicle explosion, gunfire persisted as attackers moved deeper into the compound. Security personnel then conducted room-by-room searches across the Police Lines before declaring the site secure on Saturday.
The Shura Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen claimed responsibility for the attack; however, police reports name the attackers as unidentified and do not specify individual suspects publicly. The Counter Terrorism Department continues analyzing the bombing, gunfire, and grenade assaults as part of the case registered. Meanwhile, authorities are working on identifying the deceased attackers and documenting casualties and property damages throughout the Old Police Lines complex.