KOHAT, PAKISTAN / RankWire.AI / – Pakistani authorities report that 23 individuals lost their lives in the September 18 assault on the Old Police Lines facility in Kohat, located in northwestern Pakistan. The casualties include 17 police officers and six civilians. The attack started during Friday prayers when an explosives-laden vehicle was detonated near the mosque inside the premises. Gunmen then infiltrated the area and opened fire. Rescue 1122 responded by transporting the injured to hospitals, while security forces sealed off the location and launched a clearance operation.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police reported that eight assailants were killed during the overnight search of the complex. The fighting persisted inside several buildings until security personnel regained control of the site on Saturday. The Old Police Lines serves as the district police headquarters and also hosts the Counter Terrorism Department and the Special Branch. Police confirmed that the attackers reached parts of the compound after the initial blast and exchanged gunfire with security forces during the operation.
Bilal Ahmad Faizi, spokesperson for Rescue 1122, stated that emergency teams transported 23 bodies and 91 injured persons from the scene. As teams continued searching damaged areas and hospitals received additional victims, authorities revised the death toll. Later, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police confirmed that among the dead were 17 police personnel and six civilians. Officials also reported damage to government and private property around the complex as a result of the blast, gunfire, and grenade attacks.
Investigation Launched Following Police Complex Assault
The Counter Terrorism Department filed a case at its Kohat police station after the attack. The initial report included charges of terrorism, murder, attempted murder, and related offenses. According to the complaint, the assailants drove an explosives-packed vehicle toward the mosque area before infiltrating the Police Lines armed with firearms and hand grenades. The investigators listed the attackers as unidentified and began collecting evidence from the damaged complex.
Security personnel faced off with the attackers as army units and Counter Terrorism Department teams moved through the site. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police later stated that the clearance operation had concluded after security forces eliminated all eight attackers. The operation also involved clearing the Special Branch section, where gunmen had entered during the assault. Authorities completed searches of the main structures and surrounding areas before ending the operation and reopening access for investigators and emergency responders.
Friday Prayers Disrupted by Explosion and Gunfire
The attack struck one of Kohat’s primary police facilities while officers and worshippers gathered for Friday prayers. The explosion created a large crater near the mosque area and damaged the structure. Gunfire persisted following the vehicle explosion as attackers advanced further into the complex. Security units then carried out thorough room-to-room searches across the Police Lines before authorities announced the site was secure on Saturday.
Shura Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen claimed responsibility for the incident. However, the police case names only unidentified attackers and does not specify individual suspects publicly. The Counter Terrorism Department continues its investigation into the bombing, gunfire, and grenade attacks as part of the official case. Meanwhile, police are working on identifying the deceased attackers after the operation, and investigators have documented casualties and property damage across the Old Police Lines complex.
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