According to a spokesperson for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police, seven militants entered the Police Lines after the explosion at the mosque, following which police launched a strong retaliatory operation against the attackers. Six militants have so far been killed, the spokesperson said, while a search operation remains underway.
Police had earlier said that a vehicle loaded with explosives rammed into the mosque during Friday prayers. Rescue 1122 spokesperson Bilal Ahmed Faizi said the explosion occurred at around 1:15 pm local time on Friday. Several injured people were reported to be in critical condition.
According to the rescue service spokesperson, 14 ambulances and more than 40 personnel are currently involved in the rescue operation at the site.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the Kohat explosion and expressed deep sorrow over the injuries suffered by several people.
According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, Shehbaz Sharif directed that immediate medical assistance be provided to the injured. He also sought a report from the relevant authorities on the causes of the explosion.
The prime minister instructed officials to accelerate relief operations and ensure that all possible facilities were provided to those affected.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also condemned the Kohat explosion and expressed grief over the loss of life.
A senior police officer in Peshawar told BBC News that 11 civilians and five police officers were killed in the explosion of an improvised explosive device (IED) fitted to a vehicle in Kohat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Speaking to BBC News’ Usman Zahid, Abdul Salam Khalid, Director of Public Relations at the Central Police Office, said the militants had targeted the Police Lines and the mosque located there. Friday prayers were underway at the time of the incident.
According to him, a vehicle loaded with explosives rammed into the mosque building during prayers.
Abdul Salam Khalid said that two to three armed militants entered the building after the explosion, one of whom was killed in firing. The operation by the armed forces is still underway.
Local media reports said the death toll could rise.
A Kohat police spokesperson said the Old Police Lines area is densely populated and busy, with other important offices also located in Old Police Lines.
Naveed, a volunteer with the Al-Khidmat Foundation who reached Old Police Lines after the explosion, told BBC Urdu that when he arrived, a large number of injured people were calling for help.
Naveed said he had been praying at another mosque about one kilometre away when the explosion occurred and that he immediately went to the site after hearing the blast.
He said Rescue 1122 personnel were engaged in the rescue operation and ambulances could be heard arriving from all directions.
“There were injured people everywhere. Some were crying for help and others were asking for water. We started the rescue operation together with Rescue 1122. After some time, more ambulances and a large number of security personnel arrived at the scene,” Naveed said.
Naveed said security personnel asked civilians to leave the area, after which heavy gunfire began immediately.
According to Naveed, “The explosion was so intense that the doors and walls of the mosque where we were praying were shaking.”
Mustafa Khan, who lives nearby, said, “We can still hear the sound of gunfire and we are trapped in our homes.”
He said he had been praying with his children at another mosque half a kilometre from the mosque where the explosion occurred. As soon as the blast happened, they left the mosque. He said he had small children with him and took them home.
He said that when they reached home, gunfire could be heard, while police and security forces had surrounded the entire area.
The explosion, the subsequent militant attack and the continuing security operation have left the Old Police Lines area under heightened security as rescue teams continue their work and authorities investigate the cause of the blast.
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