At least 21 people were killed and more than 80 injured in a suicide explosion at a mosque inside the Kohat Police Lines in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Friday, officials said.
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The explosion occured in Kohat, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, near the Afghanistan border, during Friday prayers, bringing down part of the building and prompting a major rescue operation. Emergency responders and local residents searched through the rubble for survivors, while at least two armed gunmen attempted to storm the police compound and were killed in an exchange of fire with officers. Around three others reportedly moved towards the Special Branch building.
According to Dawn, Rescue 1122 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa spokesperson Bilal Ahmed Faizi said emergency teams rushed to the site after receiving information about the explosion and began rescue operations.
The injured were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment, while roads leading to the blast site were closed, Geo News reported. Rescue teams remained at the scene to assess the situation.
The location was initially described by rescue officials as being near the Old Police Lines. However, a statement from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa inspector general Zulfiqar Hameed said the explosion occurred at a mosque inside the Police Lines complex.
