KOHAT, Pakistan — A wave of violence struck Pakistan’s northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Friday, as a devastating blast near a mosque left at least 15 people dead and over 50 others injured. The attack coincided with a surge in armed clashes and militant activity across the region.
According to local police, the explosion occurred during Friday prayers near a mosque situated at the Police headquarters in the city of Kohat. District Headquarters Hospital Medical Superintendent Tahir Ali Shah confirmed that 15 bodies and more than 50 wounded individuals were brought to the facility following the blast.
While authorities are still investigating the exact nature of the explosion, initial reports suggest a vehicle laden with explosives was deliberately rammed into the Police HQ premises. The powerful detonation left a massive crater outside the mosque, heavily damaging the building’s outer structure and a nearby wall. Rescue teams were immediately deployed, and the Kohat-Hangu Road was temporarily closed as reinforcements flooded the area.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hameed noted that an exchange of fire with armed militants erupted in the aftermath of the explosion.
Parallel Military Operations and IED Attacks
The mosque bombing followed a series of deadly security incidents in the province over the preceding days. On Thursday, six Pakistani soldiers were killed when an improvised explosive device (IED) struck a security forces convoy in the Hangu district, the military’s media wing (ISPR) reported.
In response to the growing militant threat, Pakistani security forces launched multiple intelligence-based operations. Six militants were killed during a firefight at a suspected hideout in North Waziristan. Additionally, four other militants died in a separate clash with security forces in the Hangu district. Weapons, ammunition, and military equipment were reportedly recovered from the sites.
The military identified the slain fighters as members of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Rising Regional Tensions
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which shares a porous border with Afghanistan, has seen a sharp resurgence in militant violence targeting both security personnel and civilians. Islamabad has repeatedly accused the TTP of operating freely from Afghan territory with the alleged backing of Afghanistan’s Taliban government—a claim that has severely strained bilateral relations.
The diplomatic friction has frequently spilled over into armed confrontations along the border. Hostilities renewed in June 2026 when Kabul claimed it struck militant hideouts inside Pakistan. Earlier this year, cross-border exchanges of fire erupted in late February following Pakistani airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan. Heavy border clashes were also witnessed in October 2025, which only ceased after mediation efforts by Qatar and Turkey.
The coordinated nature of Friday’s attacks and the ongoing border disputes underscore the severe security challenges facing Pakistan’s volatile northwestern frontier.
Reference: PressTv