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Prayers Turn Into Tragedy ! 16 Dead, More Than 50 Injured In Kohat Blast
Kohat, Pakistan : A powerful blast struck a mosque near the Old Police Lines in Kohat district of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province during Friday prayers on September 18, killing at least 16 people, including five police personnel and 11 civilians, while more than 50 others were injured, according to officials.
The explosion occurred as worshippers had gathered for the weekly congregational prayers, with reports indicating that most of those injured were worshippers. Initial information from police officials said an explosives-laden vehicle rammed into the gate of the old Police Lines before exploding, while subsequent reports from the provincial police chief described the incident as a suicide attack involving an attacker near the Special Branch building.
The powerful explosion caused severe damage to the mosque and nearby structures and reportedly created a large crater outside the mosque. Soon after the blast, Rescue 1122 teams rushed to the scene and launched rescue operations, pulling out the injured and shifting them to nearby hospitals for treatment.
At the District Headquarters Hospital in Kohat, officials reported that 15 bodies had initially been brought in along with more than 50 injured people, while an emergency was declared at the hospital as casualties continued to arrive. The attack was followed by gunfire and an exchange of fire between security personnel and suspected militants in and around the police compound, with police reporting that at least one militant was killed.
Authorities also deployed additional security personnel to the area and temporarily closed the Kohat-Hangu Road as rescue and security operations continued. No militant organisation had immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. Pakistani authorities have linked the security operation to suspected militants associated with the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), although responsibility for the bombing had not been formally claimed at the time of the latest reports.
The deadly incident has triggered heightened security measures across the area, while rescue teams, police and investigators continue to assess the scene and determine the full sequence of events. With several injured people reportedly in critical condition, authorities have warned that the casualty figures could change as rescue and medical operations continue.
