Vehicle Bomb and Gun Attack on Mosque Near Pakistan Police Headquarters Kills Dozens

An explosive-laden vehicle was detonated at the entrance of a mosque located next to police headquarters in Kohat, in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, as worshippers gathered for Friday prayers. Gunmen then attempted to storm the compound and exchanged fire with security forces, officials said. Casualty figures reported by authorities have varied, with the death toll ranging from 21 to as many as 31, including police personnel, and dozens more wounded.

A militant group linked to Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for the coordinated assault. The attack is among the deadliest in a recent surge of militant violence in Pakistan's northwest, where Taliban-linked fighters operating near the Afghan border have increasingly targeted police stations and security installations.

Rescue workers and security forces cordoned off the area as the wounded were transported to nearby hospitals. The Pakistani government condemned the bombing and vowed to intensify operations against militant networks in the region, which has seen a marked rise in attacks in recent months amid strained relations between Islamabad and the Taliban administration in neighboring Afghanistan.