KOHAT, PAKISTAN / RankWire.AI / – According to officials in Pakistan, the assault on the Old Police Lines compound in Kohat on September 18 resulted in 23 fatalities, including 17 police officers and six civilians, in the northwestern part of Pakistan. The attack was initiated with an explosives-laden vehicle targeting the mosque within the premises during Friday prayers. Following the blast, armed assailants infiltrated the area and opened gunfire. Emergency services from Rescue 1122 transported the injured to hospitals, while security forces cordoned off the site and launched a clearance mission.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police reported that eight attackers were killed during a night-long operation as security personnel combed through the complex. The firefight persisted across several structures before authorities managed to secure the premises on Saturday. The Old Police Lines serves as the district police headquarters and houses the Counter Terrorism Department along with the Special Branch. Police explained that after the initial explosion, the assailants advanced into different sections of the compound and exchanged gunfire with security forces during their assault.
Bilal Ahmad Faizi, spokesperson for Rescue 1122, stated that emergency teams removed 23 bodies and treated 91 injured individuals at the scene. The casualty figures were updated as search and rescue operations continued and hospitals received additional victims. Later, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police confirmed that among the dead were 17 police personnel and six civilians. Officials also reported damage to both government and private property around the complex as a result of the explosion, gunfire, and grenade attacks.
Investigation Launched Following Police Complex Assault
A case was opened by the Counter Terrorism Department at its Kohat police station after the incident. The initial report included charges of terrorism, murder, attempted murder, and other related offenses. According to the complaint, the attackers drove an explosives-laden vehicle toward the mosque area before storming the Police Lines with firearms and hand grenades. The identities of the assailants remain unknown, 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 premises. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police later announced that the operation had concluded after security forces killed all eight assailants. The teams also cleared the section housing the Special Branch, which had been breached during the assault. Authorities completed thorough searches of the main buildings and surrounding areas before resuming access for investigators and emergency responders.
Friday Prayers Disrupted by Explosion and Gunfire
The assault targeted a primary police facility in Kohat at a time when officers and worshippers had gathered for Friday prayers. The blast created a large crater near the mosque, damaging the structure significantly. Gunfire persisted after the vehicle explosion as the attackers moved deeper into the compound. Security forces then conducted systematic room-to-room searches throughout the Police Lines, declaring the area secure on Saturday.
Responsibility for the attack was claimed by Shura Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen. However, the police case details the attackers as unidentified, without specifying individual suspects publicly. The Counter Terrorism Department continues examining the circumstances surrounding the bombing, gunfire, and grenade assaults as part of the ongoing investigation. Authorities also work to identify the deceased attackers post-operation and document casualties and property damage across the Old Police Lines complex.