At least 21 people were killed and more than 100 injured when a vehicle packed with explosives struck a mosque inside a police compound in Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, officials said.
The attack took place during Friday prayers and was followed by gunfire targeting the police facility. According to Pakistan’s Associated Press, those killed included 15 police officers and a four-year-old child.
Footage examined by BBC Verify showed extensive rubble at the site, with people assisting the injured and responding to the aftermath of the explosion.
Police said the explosives-laden vehicle crashed into the mosque’s entrance at approximately 1:15 p.m. local time. A spokesperson for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police said at least six attackers were killed in the blast and the subsequent exchange of fire.
Police indicated that a faction of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, commonly known as the Pakistani Taliban, may have been responsible. In a statement posted on social media, the force pledged to defeat what it described as the plans of “Fitna-al-Khawarij,” the term Pakistani officials use for the group.
Established in 2007, the Pakistani Taliban seeks to impose its strict interpretation of Islamic law and has links with Al-Qaeda and the Afghan Taliban.
President Asif Ali Zardari expressed sympathy for the victims and wished the injured a speedy recovery. He also called for the complete elimination of what he described as foreign-backed terrorism.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres strongly condemned the bombing. A UN spokesperson said attacks against civilians and places of worship were unacceptable.
The attack comes amid renewed concerns over militant violence in Pakistan. In February, officials blamed the Pakistani Taliban for several attacks, including a suicide bombing at a Shia mosque in Islamabad that killed more than 30 people.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi said the province had made immense sacrifices in its struggle against terrorism.
Militant activity has increased sharply in Pakistan’s border regions in recent months, with police and military personnel among the principal targets of armed groups.
Pakistan maintains that militants use Afghan territory to train and organise attacks across the border. Afghanistan’s Taliban government rejects the allegation, arguing that militancy within Pakistan is a domestic security issue.
