The death toll in an attack on a mosque at Old Police Lines in Kohat in KPK province has reached 31, including 22 police personnel and other civilians. As many as 128 have been injured. Six attackers have been killed so far, and the operation is still ongoing.
Inspector General of Police Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Zulfiqar Hameed says that according to initial reports, a vehicle laden with explosives was rammed into the old police lines. The explosion was followed by an exchange of fire with armed militants, which is still taking place intermittently.
Deputy Commissioner Kohat Muhammad Nawaz Wazir confirmed deaths and said that SP Traffic Police Akbar Shinwari is also among those killed.
Usman Zahid, Director Public Relations Central Police Office Abdul Salam Khalid said that the target of the militants was the police lines and the mosque located there, and Friday prayers were underway when the incident occurred.
According to the IG Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, initial reports indicate that after the blast, a suicide bomber blew himself up near the Special Branch.
According to the spokesperson of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police, after the blast in the Police Lines mosque, seven armed attackers infiltrated the Police Lines, after which the police and CTD put up a strong resistance against the attackers.
According to him, as per information received so far, six, including a suicide bomber and a sniper, have been killed, and the clearance operation has entered its final stages.
This is a densely populated and busy area. The mosque targeted in the terror attack in Kohat, the Old Police Lines, is considered extremely important and is located on the busiest and historic highway of Kohat, Hangu Road.
According to the spokesperson for Kohat Police, the Old Police Lines area is densely populated and busy, and apart from the CTD office, other important offices are also located there.
The spokesperson says that the outer wall of the mosque and some buildings have been damaged due to the blast, and the encounter with the attackers is still ongoing, while the Peshawar-Kohat Road has been closed for general traffic.
Hangu Road connects Kohat to Hangu, Orakzai and Kurram districts and is considered important for the security of Kohat. The Old Police Lines area is extremely important for Kohat because from here routes to the city’s commercial centers, civil administration offices and military cantonment emerge. This area is located right at the junction of Kohat’s old urban area and the military cantonment zone.
The District Headquarters Hospital Kohat is located a few minutes away from the Old Police Lines.
In this same zone and part of Hangu Road, not only the Old Police Lines is located but also the Cantt Police Station, City Police Station, Counter Terrorism Department office is located. After the blast, when we reached the Police Lines, intense firing started.
Alkhidmat Foundation volunteer Naveed, who reached the Old Police Lines after the blast, told that when they got there, a large number of injured were calling for help. Naveed further said that at the time of the blast, he was offering prayers in another mosque a kilometer away and upon hearing the sound of the blast, he immediately reached the Old Police Lines.
He said that Rescue 1122 personnel were busy in the rescue operation there, and ambulance sirens can be heard from all the sides.
“There were injured people everywhere. Some were calling for help and some were asking for water. We started relief work together with the Rescue 1122 personnel. After some time, more ambulances and a large number of security personnel arrived at the scene”,he said.
Naveed said that security personnel asked civilians to move away from there, following which intense firing started. Naveed said that the blast was so intense that the walls and doors shook inside the mosque. Local resident Mustafa Khan says, ‘We are still hearing gunfire and are trapped in our homes.
Mustafa Khan further said, ‘The mosque where the blast took place, I was present in a mosque half a kilometer away from it with my children for prayers. When the blast happened, we came out of the mosque. I had small children with me whom I took home.
He said that when he reached home, gunfire was still being heard at that time and is still being heard, while the police and security forces have cordoned off the entire area and are not letting anyone go out.
Condemnation by the President, Prime Minister and other officials have poured in. President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari condemned the Kohat blast, saying that ‘the complete elimination of externally-backed Khariji Fitna and terrorists is indispensable for national security.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the Kohat blast and expressed deep grief and sorrow over the deaths. According to a statement issued from the Prime Minister’s Office, Shehbaz Sharif has directed to provide immediate and best medical assistance be provided to the injured.
The Prime Minister has sought a report from the concerned authorities about the nature and causes of the blast. The Prime Minister has directed to speed up relief operations and provide all possible facilities to the affected people.
Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has also condemned the Old Police Lines blast in Kohat and expressed regret over the loss of human lives.
Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sohail Afridi and Governor Faisal Karim Kundi have also condemned the attack and sought a report from the authorities. According to the spokesperson of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police, CTD experts have briefed the IG Police and Additional IG on the situation.
The IG Khyber Pakhtunkhwa says that they are tracing the terrorists and their facilitators and will ensure their complete elimination.
