KOHAT, PAKISTAN / RankWire.AI / – According to Pakistani officials, the September 18 attack on the Old Police Lines complex in Kohat, located in northwestern Pakistan, resulted in 23 fatalities, including 17 police officers and six civilians. The assault was initiated during Friday prayers when an explosives-laden vehicle was used near the mosque inside the compound. Subsequently, armed assailants entered the premises and opened fire. Rescue 1122 responded by transporting the wounded to hospitals, while security forces cordoned off the area and launched a clearance operation.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police reported that eight attackers were killed during the overnight search of the compound. The fighting persisted within several buildings until authorities regained control of the facility on Saturday. The Old Police Lines functions as the district police headquarters and houses the Counter Terrorism Department along with the Special Branch. Officials indicated that the attackers reached parts of the compound following the initial blast and exchanged gunfire with security forces during the operation.
Bilal Ahmad Faizi, a spokesperson for Rescue 1122, stated that emergency teams evacuated 23 bodies and 91 injured individuals from the scene. As the search continued in damaged sections and hospitals received additional victims, authorities revised the casualty figures. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police later confirmed that among the dead were 17 police personnel and six civilians. Furthermore, officials reported damage to both government and private properties around the compound caused by the blast, gunfire, and grenade attacks.
Counter Terrorism Department Initiates Case Following Police Complex Assault
A case was filed by the Counter Terrorism Department at its Kohat police station after the attack. The initial report includes charges of terrorism, murder, attempted murder, and related offenses. The complaint states that the attackers drove a vehicle filled with explosives toward the mosque area before entering the Police Lines armed with firearms and hand grenades. The suspects remain unidentified, and investigators began collecting evidence from the damaged compound.
Police officers engaged with the assailants as army units and Counter Terrorism Department teams moved through the premises. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police later announced that the security operation concluded with all eight attackers killed. The teams also secured the Special Branch section, which had been penetrated during the assault. After completing searches of the main structures and adjacent areas, authorities reopened the site for investigators and emergency responders.
Explosion and Gunfire Disrupt Friday Prayers
During Friday prayers, one of Kohat’s key police facilities was struck by a violent attack, causing damage to the mosque area and creating a large crater near the explosion site. Following the vehicle blast, gunfire persisted as the assailants advanced further into the compound. Security personnel then conducted thorough room-to-room searches across the Police Lines before declaring the area secure on Saturday.
Responsibility for the attack was claimed by Shura Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen. However, the police case mentions unidentified attackers and does not specify individual suspects publicly. The Counter Terrorism Department continues to analyze the bombing, gunfire, and grenade assaults as part of the ongoing investigation. Meanwhile, authorities worked to identify the deceased attackers after the operation, documenting casualties and property damage throughout the Old Police Lines complex.