Deadly Attack: 31 Killed at Pakistan Police HQ in Kohat

At least 31 people have tragically lost their lives, and over 100 more were injured in a devastating militant attack on a police headquarters in Kohat, a town in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province. The attack, which began on Friday, September 18, 2026, involved an explosion and a gun assault, with fighting continuing into the following day.

Among the deceased are 16 police personnel.\n\nAttackers stormed the Old Police Lines complex, which serves as a crucial district-level police headquarters, housing offices for the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), Special Branch, and other police units. Initial reports indicate that an explosives-packed car was driven into the facility, reportedly as officers and their families were praying at a mosque inside the compound, causing widespread destruction.

Several militants remain holed up within the Special Branch section of the complex, engaging in an ongoing exchange of fire with security forces.\n\nThe Kohat district health officer confirmed that the vast majority of the injured are police personnel, with many in critical condition, raising fears that the death toll could still rise. Images from the scene show a landscape of devastation, with piles of bricks, rubble, and blown-out walls, as military personnel secure the area and ambulances line the streets.\n\nLocal militant group Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan, a faction linked to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) - also known as the Pakistani Taliban - has claimed responsibility for the assault.

This attack comes amid a surge in militant activities in KP and the southern border province of Balochistan, which Pakistan attributes to militancy emanating from Afghanistan. This has fueled a bitter rift and armed conflict between the neighboring countries, with Pakistan having conducted airstrikes against suspected militant targets on Afghan soil.\n\nPakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif swiftly condemned the attack, expressing deep sorrow and regret.

He has directed that the injured receive the best possible medical assistance and called for a detailed report on the incident. President Asif Ali Zardari also conveyed his regret over the casualties and emphasized the critical importance of eliminating "Fitna-al-Khawarij and terrorists operating with foreign backing" for national security.", "city": "Kohat

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