Bomb Shakes Mosque During Friday Prayers, 27 Dead—The Perpetrators Identified
At least 27 people have died in a suicide bombing followed by a gun battle at a mosque located within a police complex in Kohat, in the north-western region of Pakistan. The fatalities include six civilians and 15 police officers, while dozens of others have sustained injuries.
The attack occurred as worshippers were gathering for Friday prayers. A vehicle laden with explosives rammed the entrance of the mosque, which is situated within the police headquarters complex in Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, near the Afghan border.
A faction of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as the Pakistani Taliban, has claimed responsibility for the attack. The Ittehadul Mujahideen group, which maintains links to Taliban commander Hafiz Gul Bahadur, also declared its involvement in the suicide bombing.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Police Chief Zulfikar Hameed confirmed the suicide attack. Following the explosion, several armed men attempted to storm the police complex, leading to a firefight with security forces.
According to Dr Tahir Shah, at least 15 bodies and more than 50 injured victims have been transported to hospitals, as reported by the dpa news agency. Meanwhile, Al Jazeera sources indicated that the number of casualties reached at least 75 people.
According to reports from The Associated Press, senior rescue official Bilal Faizi stated that the majority of the injured were worshippers present in the mosque when the attack took place.
The explosion caused severe damage to the mosque building, and the outer walls of the police station also collapsed due to the force of the blast. Local residents reported that the sound of the explosion could be heard from a significant distance from the site.
Al Jazeera reported that at least six attackers were killed during the gun battle with security forces.
Pakistan has accused the Afghan Taliban of allowing the TTP and other militant groups to operate from Afghan territory. However, officials in Kabul have denied these allegations.
The TTP is a distinct group from the Afghan Taliban, although the two maintain an alliance. The Afghan Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021.
Michael Semple, a visiting professor at Queen’s University Belfast and former EU representative in Afghanistan who previously negotiated with the Afghan Taliban, stated that these armed groups are seeking to