Suicide bombing at police compound in northwest Pakistan kills 17 people
A suicide car bombing and armed assault on a police facility in Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killed at least 17 people and wounded 73 others during Friday prayers on 18 September 2026.
Attack on the Kohat police compound
A suicide car bomb struck a police facility in the city of Kohat in northwestern Pakistan on 18 September 2026. The detonation occurred at approximately 13:15 local time as police officers, their relatives, and civilian worshippers attended Friday prayers at an on-site mosque. According to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hameed, the assailant rammed an explosives-laden vehicle directly into the perimeter gate of the complex. Armed fighters accompanying the car immediately opened fire and attempted to breach the security perimeter, prompting an exchange of gunfire with stationed guards.
Zulfiqar Hameed described the start of the assault in comments to local broadcaster Geo News.
The vehicle hit the gate and then exploded, and there was also gunfire.
Emergency response and casualty figures
After the vehicle exploded at the entrance, multiple armed attackers advanced deeper into the facility. Several assailants headed toward the counter-terrorism department building, where security personnel confronted and neutralized them, while another attacker detonated an explosive vest near an adjacent structure. Rescue teams from Rescue 1122 and local residents cleared debris to evacuate wounded worshippers from the damaged mosque. Initial reports indicated severe structural damage to the exterior wall of the police offices and the mosque enclosure. Police confirmed that at least six attackers were killed during the fighting.
Raza Khan, an officer at the Kohat police control center, provided casualty figures following the engagement.
The death toll has reached 17, including five police officers, while 73 other people, among them also police officers, have been injured. Of the injured, 15 are in critical condition.
- Roadside bomb in Hangu district kills six soldiers, prompting raids that kill 10 militants
- Explosives-laden vehicle strikes the gate of the Kohat police complex during Friday prayers
- Security forces neutralize six armed attackers and secure the counter-terrorism building
Escalation across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
The attack in Kohat followed a separate confrontation in the province one day earlier. On 17 September 2026, a roadside improvised explosive device struck a security convoy in the neighboring Hangu district, killing six soldiers. Government troops conducted search operations later that day, killing 10 militants during tactical sweeps across the district. Official records published earlier in 2026 noted that over 800 Pakistanis, including civilians and security personnel, had died in militant attacks since January, while security forces killed more than 2,000 militants in counter-insurgency actions over the same timeframe. Earlier in August 2026, a separate suicide bombing at a regional police station killed 14 people.
Political reactions and border disputes
Pakistani leaders condemned the violence and reiterated counter-terrorism priorities. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif requested an immediate investigation into the breach and directed hospitals to expedite care for critically injured victims. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi characterized the strike on civilians as unacceptable, ordering regional administrators to assist families. Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari attributed the assault to Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, designated by the state under the label Fitna-ul-Khawarij.
Islamabad maintains that militant groups utilize hideouts across the Afghan border to organize cross-border operations. The Taliban administration in Kabul denies providing safe haven to Pakistani militants, maintaining that regional security issues remain an internal Pakistani matter.
