At least 21 people were killed in the Kohat police compound attack on Friday. More than 10 of them were police officers. Additionally, 103 others were injured, including 73 policemen and 30 civilians. Six militants also died during a gunbattle with police and CTD personnel, according to the provincial police chief.
District Health Officer Dr Nasir Hassan Afridi confirmed the death toll to media. He said three to five of the injured remained in critical condition. Therefore, authorities shifted some of the seriously wounded to Peshawar for further treatment. Meanwhile, the attack began with an explosion at a mosque in the old Police Lines area. Intermittent gunfire followed as militants stormed the compound.
Rescue 1122 spokesperson Bilal Ahmed Faizi said the deceased included both police officers and civilians. Rescue teams also recovered the body of a suspected militant at the scene. The explosion shook nearby houses and buildings. It caused panic among residents living close to the compound. Furthermore, District Emergency Officer Noor ul Amin said 14 ambulances and more than 40 personnel took part in the response.
Provincial police chief Zulfiqar Hameed confirmed that seven armed militants had infiltrated the compound. This followed the mosque blast. He said police and CTD personnel exchanged fire with the attackers. Six militants died, including a sniper and a suicide bomber. A clearance operation against the remaining attacker was in its final stages. Instead of a single explosion, Hameed said a vehicle loaded with explosives had reportedly rammed into a location near the old Police Lines. Authorities were still confirming the exact cause.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi condemned the attack as extremely tragic. He directed officials to use all available resources for the injured. He also called it a cowardly act of terrorism. Finally, the banned group Tehreek e Taliban Gul Bahadur claimed responsibility. The group said its Al Badar Istishhadi Battalion carried out the assault using a vehicle borne explosive device, followed by suicide attackers entering the facility.
Kohat has faced a persistent militant threat in recent years. The district recorded 15 terrorism related incidents in 2025. So far this year, 21 have been reported, according to the South Asia Terrorism Portal. Pakistan has repeatedly linked the rise in attacks across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan to militancy originating from Afghanistan. The Afghan Taliban government denies this claim.
