Saudi Arabia condemns terrorist attack on mosque in Pakistan

A suicide bombing at a mosque in Kohat, Pakistan, resulted in at least 16 deaths and over 30 injuries. The explosion took place during Friday prayers, collapsing part of the mosque and prompting an urgent rescue operation. Emergency teams and residents searched through the rubble for survivors. Rescue 1122 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa spokesperson Bilal Ahmed Faizi confirmed that emergency services were dispatched to the scene following information about the blast.

Injured individuals were transported to nearby hospitals for treatment, and roads leading to the location were temporarily closed. Rescue teams continued to assess the situation at the scene. The location was initially reported as being near the Old Police Lines, but Khyber Pakhtunkhwa inspector general Zulfiqar Hameed clarified that the mosque was situated within the Police Lines complex.

Initial reports suggested the blast may have been caused by an explosive-laden vehicle rammed into the Old Police Lines, though the exact nature of the blast remained undetermined. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and Governor Faisal Karim Kundi condemned the incident and offered their solidarity to the victims. Social media footage revealed that the mosque's roof had collapsed, and rescuers and locals were seen pulling injured people from the rubble.

No group had claimed responsibility for the blast, but suspicion could have fallen on the Pakistani Taliban, who have carried out numerous attacks in the region. In 2023, a suicide bombing at a mosque in Peshawar killed 101 people, and the TTP, which maintains an alliance with Afghanistan's Taliban, could potentially be behind the latest attack.

The Pakistani government has accused the Taliban of providing shelter to TTP members and allowing cross-border attacks. Authorities are still investigating the precise nature of the explosion and identifying those responsible.