At least 21 dead in suicide car bomb attack on Pakistan police mosque

Officials confirm a suicide car bombing and gun assault targeted a mosque inside a police compound in north-western Pakistan during Friday prayers, leaving more than 100 injured.

By Steve Rowland · AI-assisted production, human-approved (how we work)
Published 19 September 2026 at 01:13 · Updated 19 September 2026 at 01:16

Developing · updated 2 hours ago

We are still following this story and this page updates as more is confirmed.

In brief

What happened

An explosives-laden vehicle rammed into a mosque inside a police compound in Kohat, Pakistan, killing at least 21 people and injuring over 100 during Friday prayers. The coordinated assault also involved gunmen opening fire on the facility, resulting in the deaths of 15 police officers and a four-year-old child. At least six of the attackers were killed during the initial blast and the ensuing gun battle with security forces.

Why it matters

Investigators suspect the Pakistani Taliban carried out the attack amid a sharp rise in regional militancy targeting military personnel and police units. The bombing drew immediate international condemnation from the United Nations and highlighted the heavy toll on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The incident also reflects diplomatic tensions between Pakistan, which claims militants operate from Afghan safe havens, and Afghanistan's Taliban government, which denies the allegations.

What's next

The exact identity of every attacker involved in the coordinated operation has not yet been confirmed. In addition, it remains unknown whether any other suspects managed to escape from the police compound.

At least 21 people have been killed and more than 100 injured after a suicide car bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a mosque inside a police compound in north-western Pakistan, officials have confirmed.

The coordinated attack took place in the city of Kohat, located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, at about 13:15 local time (08:15 GMT) while Friday prayers were under way. According to Pakistan's state-run APP news agency, 15 police officers and a four-year-old child are among the dead.

Police reported that the car was driven directly into the entrance of the mosque building, situated near local police headquarters, before heavily armed gunmen opened fire on the facility. Footage verified by BBC Verify shows the blast site strewn with rubble as rescue workers and bystanders tended to casualties.

A spokesperson for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police said at least six of the attackers were killed during the initial blast and the ensuing gun battle with security forces.

Regional police suspect a faction of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), widely known as the Pakistani Taliban, carried out the assault. In a statement on X, the force said it remained "determined to foil the nefarious designs of Fitna-al-Khawarij" — the official government designation for the militant network.

The TTP was formed in 2007 with the objective of enforcing its strict interpretation of Islamic law and maintains established ties with both al-Qaeda and the Afghan Taliban.

The assault has drawn swift international condemnation. A United Nations spokesperson said Secretary-General António Guterres "strongly condemns" the bombing, adding that "attacks targeting civilians and places of worship are unacceptable."

Faisal Karim Kundi, the governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said on Friday that the province had endured "immense sacrifices in the fight against terrorism."

The incident follows a sharp escalation in border militancy in recent months, with insurgent groups repeatedly targeting Pakistani military and police personnel. In February, authorities accused the TTP of orchestrating a wave of attacks across the country, including a suicide bombing at an Islamabad Shia mosque that killed more than 30 people.

The attack also comes amid heightened diplomatic friction with Kabul. Islamabad asserts that armed militants use Afghan territory as a safe haven to plan and train for cross-border strikes — an accusation Afghanistan's Taliban administration denies, maintaining the violence is Pakistan's internal problem.

I will continue monitoring developments on the ground and update this report as further details emerge regarding the attackers' identities.