Suicide bombing at Kohat mosque kills 16 during Friday prayers

At least 16 people, including five police officers and 11 civilians, were killed and more than 50 others injured in a suicide bombing during Friday prayers at a mosque near the old Police Lines in Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Earlier casualty figures were lower while rescue operations continued, and the toll remained provisional. Rescue 1122 deployed 14 ambulances and more than 35 personnel, provided first aid and transported the wounded, some of whom were critically injured, to nearby hospitals. The blast damaged the mosque’s outer section, collapsed a wall and caused a crater outside the building, while police and security forces cordoned off the area and closed the Kohat-Hangu Road. No group has claimed responsibility. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered expedited relief efforts, medical treatment for the injured and a report on the incident.