Explosives-Laden Vehicle Rammed into Pakistan Mosque, Killing 15
At least 15 people were killed and dozens more wounded when a powerful bomb exploded at a mosque in northwestern Pakistan on Friday, officials said.
A powerful bomb exploded Friday at a mosque near a building housing police offices in northwestern Pakistan, killing at least 15 people and wounding dozens, police and rescue officials said. Zulfiqar Hameed, the provincial police chief, stated that an attacker apparently rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the mosque, though an investigation is ongoing. Local police reported that at least two armed gunmen also attempted to enter the police compound and exchanged fire with officers.
The bombing occurred in Kohat, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan, according to Bilal Faizi, a senior rescue official. Many of the wounded were worshippers, and some are in critical condition, raising concerns about a potential rise in the death toll. The victims were transported to a nearby hospital, where an emergency was declared to manage the influx of casualties. The explosion was powerful enough to cause significant damage to nearby shops and homes.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack and expressed his condolences for the casualties, directing authorities to expedite rescue operations and provide medical care and assistance to those affected. Social media footage depicted the mosque's roof had collapsed, with rescuers and residents seen pulling injured individuals from the rubble.
No group has immediately claimed responsibility, but suspicion is likely to fall on the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). This attack follows a roadside bombing in the northwestern Hangu district the previous day that killed six soldiers. On Thursday, government troops conducted raids that resulted in the deaths of 10 militants believed to be members of the Pakistani Taliban.
The Pakistani Taliban have increased their attacks on police and civilians in recent years. In 2023, a suicide bomber killed 101 people in an attack inside a mosque in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The TTP is a separate entity from, but allied with, Afghanistan's Taliban, which regained control in 2021. Pakistan frequently accuses Kabul of harboring the TTP and ignoring cross-border militant activities, allegations that the government in Kabul denies.