KOHAT: At least 16 people, including five police personnel, were injured and more than 50 others wounded when a suicide attack targeted the Police Lines area in Kohat during Friday prayers on Friday, with the Police Lines mosque and nearby Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) office reported to be among the targets.
The attack involved a vehicle-borne suicide bomber who rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the Police Lines gate, triggering a powerful blast, said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hameed. Gunfire was also reported in the area following the explosion, added he.
Meanwhile, the Central Police Office in a statement said that an attacker was also neutralized during engagment after the suicide bombing.
The initial intelligence reports have identified the suicide bomber as an Afghan national.
The injured were being treated at the District Headquarters Hospital in Kohat, where an emergency was declared following the attack. Earlier police reports confirmed that several injured people had been shifted to the hospital.
Security forces and police have cordoned off the Police Lines area and launched a clearance operation following the attack. Reports said security personnel were engaging suspected militants in the area, although details of the operation remained unclear.
Suicide #Blast at #Kohat Police Lines Mosque Leaves 20 Injured pic.twitter.com/82d08rUScB
— Baloch Wire (@Balochwire) September 18, 2026
The Kohat-Hangu Road was also closed to traffic as additional police personnel were deployed around the Police Lines, according to police.
KP CM Sohail Afridi Summons Report on Kohat Police Lines Attack
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi strongly condemned the attack and said such incidents would not deter the provincial government’s determination to eliminate terrorism from the province.
He directed the police to submit a detailed report on the suicide bombing to him.
Meanwhile, relatives and local residents gathered near the affected area after the attack.
Some protesters raised slogans against the provincial government and demanded answers from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi over the security situation.
