Kohat Police Lines blast death toll rises to 23 as clearance operation concludes

K-P police say eight terrorists killed in retaliatory action, operation concluded after 20 hours

PESHAWAR:

The death toll from the blast and subsequent attack at the mosque in Kohat Police Lines rose to 23 on Saturday after the body of another police officer was recovered from the site and shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ).

"Rescue teams and ambulances transported a total of 91 injured people and patients to various hospitals, while the bodies of 23 people martyred in the attack were also shifted to hospitals, said Rescue 1122 spokesperson Bilal Ahmad Faizi.

On Friday, at least 21 people, including 15 police officials, were martyred when an explosives-laden vehicle detonated near a mosque in Kohat Police Lines, followed by terrorists storming the compound and attacking police facilities.

In a statement issued today, Faizi said that the operation was supervised by District Emergency Officer Kohat Noor-ul-Amin Khattak, with medical teams, ambulances and other rescue resources taking part.

"The operation involved 24 ambulances, rescue vehicles and a recovery vehicle, along with more than 60 rescue personnel. Additional ambulances and personnel were sent from neighbouring districts, including Karak and Hangu," the statement added.

It said that following funeral prayers, the bodies of 15 victims were transported by Rescue 1122 ambulances to their native districts of Kohat, Karak, Lakki Marwat, Bannu and Mardan.

"Seven critically injured people were transferred to Peshawar for further treatment. Five were taken to Lady Reading Hospital, while two were shifted to Hayatabad Medical Complex," it added.

Faizi said Rescue 1122 teams carried out search, rescue and medical operations in difficult, sensitive and dangerous conditions.

He said the personnel demonstrated professionalism, dedication and commitment while carrying out their duties.

Meanwhile, Kohat hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Tahir Shah also confirmed the rise in the death toll, saying another police officer’s body had been shifted to the DHQ Hospital.

Earlier, a search and clearance operation following the blast at a mosque was completed after around 20 hours, with eight terrorists killed

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Inspector General of Police (IGP) Zulfiqar Hameed said that Elite Force commandos, Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) teams and security forces cleared key sections of the buildings.

He said a suicide bomber had attempted to target law enforcement personnel but failed.

The IGP remained at the scene and encouraged the personnel involved in the operation, while Additional IGP CTD, the Kohat regional police officer and the Kohat district police officer led the operation. The Kohat GOC was also present, he added.

He further added that "the law enforcement agencies completed the operation after working through the night."

Hameed praised the officers who took part in the operation and announced rewards for them. “The police, CTD and security forces fought bravely. The brave personnel are the pride of the nation,” he said.

“The terrorists’ nefarious designs have been foiled, and we will ensure their complete elimination,” the IGP said.

Following the blast at the Old Police Lines Mosque in Kohat, terrorists attempted to infiltrate; 8 terrorists were killed in retaliatory action by police and security forces.

IG KP Zulfiqar Hameed lauded the officers who took part in the operation and announced rewards. pic.twitter.com/OYvB81LjyF

— KP Police (@KP_Police1) September 19, 2026

K-P Chief Minister Sohail Afridi met the families of those killed in the terrorist attack at Kohat Police Lines and paid tribute to police, CTD personnel and other officials who confronted the attackers.

“I pay tribute to the police, CTD and all personnel who bravely fought the terrorists in the Kohat incident,” Afridi said.

“Our martyrs who fought bravely against the terrorists sacrificed their lives for the protection of the nation,” he said, praying that Allah Almighty elevate the ranks of the martyrs and grant patience to their bereaved families.

Afridi said K-P had been fighting a war against terrorism continuously for 22 years, since 2004, and further added that peace had prevailed in Pakistan during the government of Imran Khan despite what he described as an India-friendly government in Afghanistan.

“Today, meetings over tea have been held with the government present in Afghanistan, but despite this, relations have not improved,” he said.

Afridi said relations with Afghanistan remained strained and the border was closed, claiming that K-P had suffered a loss of more than Rs8 billion during the last financial year. He added that the continued closure of the border would also cause economic losses to the province during the current financial year.

“For 22 years, a policy has been followed that is not producing results. Now is the time to change the policy,” Afridi said. His government was presenting a policy to eliminate terrorism but claimed that no one was prepared to pay attention to it, he said.

Afridi further claimed that the federal government and institutions were focused on eliminating the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and keeping Imran Khan in jail.

“The priority of the federal government is political revenge, while the elimination of terrorism and protection of the people are not their priority,” he said.

Referring to a statement by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, Afridi said the “fake chief minister of Punjab” had said she was not threatened by India but by Pakistan’s three smaller provinces. He also said that since his government came to power, an additional Rs35 billion had been provided to equip the police with modern weapons.

He said the police budget had been increased to Rs190 billion for the 2026-27 financial year. “Without strengthening the police, sustainable peace cannot be established in the province,” he said.

Afridi added that members of the provincial assembly had reduced their development budgets to provide resources for the police. The federal government’s policy on terrorism had “completely failed,” he added.

The chief minister also announced financial assistance for the families of those killed in the Kohat incident who were not covered by the government’s martyrs’ package and said all necessary and important medical equipment would be provided to Kohat DHQ Hospital.

Afridi also said the mosque damaged in the blast and the Special Branch police station would be reconstructed. “I have already announced a 1,000-bed hospital in Kohat, and it will be completed in the shortest possible time,” he said.

Members of the National Assembly, Shehryar Afridi and Dawood Afridi, and provincial ministers Shafi Jan and Aftab Alam were also present on the occasion.

Read: President Zardari, PM Shehbaz strongly condemn Kohat Police Lines blast

According to the report, the blast occurred at approximately 1:20pm during Friday prayers at a mosque located at Police Lines on Hangu Road in Kohat, followed by a terrorist attack involving around five to seven terrorists.

Of the 22 people killed, 16 were police personnel and six were civilians. The report identified one of the deceased civilians as Dr Israel Khan Aurakzai, Chief District Specialist (Paediatrics) at Liaqat Memorial Hospital, Kohat.

It further said 103 injured people had been received at the two hospitals, including 13 at Liaqat Memorial Hospital and 90 at DHQ Hospital Kohat. The injured comprised 73 police personnel and 30 civilians.

Of the total injured, 34 were admitted for treatment, while five patients underwent laparotomy, a surgical procedure involving an incision into the abdomen.

The report said four of the patients who underwent laparotomy had been referred to tertiary care facilities in Peshawar for further treatment.

It added that the situation was being closely monitored and all possible medical assistance was being provided to the injured at the relevant health facilities.

According to the police, seven armed terrorists infiltrated the police lines following a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) detonated at the boundary wall near the mosque.

Read more: Kohat Police Lines blast kills 21, including 15 police personnel

Ittihadul Mujahideen Pakistan (IMP), led by Afghanistan-based Hafiz Gul Bahadur, has claimed responsibility for the deadly bombing and rampage involving multiple attackers. Islamabad has repeatedly asked the Taliban regime to deny the use of Afghan soil for terrorist attacks inside Pakistan. However, the de facto rulers in Kabul have been reluctant to take action against terrorist groups operating from their territory.