Bombing at mosque near police offices in Pakistan kills at least 16

PESHAWAR, Pakistan — A powerful bomb detonated at a mosque situated close to a police offices building in northwestern Pakistan on Friday, resulting in at least 16 fatalities and 57 injuries, according to police and rescue officials. The assault unfolded in Kohat, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that shares a border with Afghanistan, as the region has witnessed escalating violence with security forces increasingly targeting militants.

An assailant is believed to have rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the mosque, reported Zulfiqar Hameed, the provincial police chief. Hospital officials have confirmed that among the deceased, five were police officers and 11 were civilians, while Bilal Faizi, a senior rescue official, stated that most of the wounded were worshippers, with some in critical condition.

At least seven armed gunmen attempted to breach the police compound and engaged in a firefight with officers, of which six were subsequently killed. Photos from the scene depict the outer wall of the police offices collapsing and the mosque sustaining severe damage. Thick smoke was observed rising over the site following the blast, as reported by witnesses and residents.