The Kohat police complex attack killed 23 people and wounded 103, while security forces killed eight militants after a prolonged operation to clear the compound.
WEBDESK – MEDIABITES
PESHAWAR: The death toll from a militant attack on a police complex in Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, rose to 23 on Saturday as security forces completed an overnight clearance operation that killed eight militants.
The coordinated attack unfolded on Friday afternoon at the Old Police Lines compound during weekly Friday prayers. The complex houses police and counterterrorism offices as well as residential facilities, with a mosque inside the compound serving police personnel and their families.
According to health officials, 21 people were initially reported killed and 103 injured. The death toll later increased after two additional bodies of police officers were recovered and taken to hospital.
District Health Officer Kohat Dr. Nasir Hussain Afridi said the 23 fatalities included 17 police officers and six civilians, while the number of injured remained at 103.
How the Kohat attack unfolded
The assault began with an explosion near the mosque inside the Old Police Lines compound during Friday prayers. Police said an explosives-laden vehicle was used in the attack, after which armed militants entered the compound and engaged security personnel in a prolonged gun battle.
The attackers targeted buildings associated with the police and counterterrorism departments, turning the complex into the scene of a lengthy security operation.
Security forces and police subsequently surrounded the area and fought militants who remained inside the compound. The clearance operation continued for roughly 20 hours before authorities declared it complete.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police said eight militants were killed during retaliatory action by police and security forces. Elite Force commandos, Counter-Terrorism Department personnel, and other security units took part in clearing the buildings.
A local militant group calling itself Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan claimed responsibility for the attack, according to the report supplied by Arab News.
A renewed security challenge in KP
The attack comes as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa continues to face frequent militant violence. The province shares a long and difficult border with Afghanistan and has experienced repeated attacks involving the Pakistani Taliban, or Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and affiliated groups.
Pakistan has repeatedly accused Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities of allowing TTP members to operate from Afghan territory and launch attacks inside Pakistan. Kabul has rejected the allegations.
The security situation deteriorated after a fragile ceasefire between the Pakistani government and the TTP broke down in November 2022, followed by an increase in militant attacks across KP and other parts of the country.
The targeting of a mosque within a police facility also recalls the devastating January 2023 attack on a mosque inside Peshawar’s Police Lines complex. More than 100 people, most of them police personnel, were killed in that bombing.
Conflicting casualty figures
The casualty figures have continued to develop as authorities recover bodies and assess the aftermath.
The Arab News report cited a Kohat health official putting the death toll at 23, with 103 people injured. However, later reporting by AFP cited a senior police official as saying the death toll had reached 31, including 16 police personnel, while fighting was still being reported.
The differing figures reflect the rapidly changing situation and the difficulty of establishing a final casualty count while rescue and clearance operations are still underway.
For now, the reported figure of 23 deaths and eight militants killed reflects the figures provided by the Kohat health authorities and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police in the cited report.
The attack has once again highlighted the risks faced by police personnel and their families in security installations across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where militants have increasingly targeted law enforcement and counterterrorism facilities.
Why this matters
The Kohat assault was not simply an attack on a police installation. It struck a mosque during Friday prayers inside a compound housing police and counterterrorism personnel, resulting in significant casualties among both officers and civilians.
The prolonged clearance operation also demonstrates the scale of the security challenge facing authorities when armed militants penetrate protected facilities. The incident is likely to intensify scrutiny of security arrangements at police compounds and other sensitive installations across the province.
