At least 31 dead as militants attack Pakistan police HQ in Kohat; fighting ongoing

KOHAT, Pakistan - A terrorist attack at the police headquarters in Kohat, a city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, resulted in at least 31 deaths, including 16 police personnel, and over 100 injuries, according to a senior police official. The attack occurred on Friday afternoon when militants stormed the Old Police Lines complex, which houses the Counter Terrorism Department, Special Branch, and several other police units.

The official reported that several militants are still hiding inside the Special Branch section of the complex, and an ongoing firefight ensued after dark. The exact number of militants involved remains unknown. Pakistani soldiers, armed with assault rifles, were seen guarding the scene, alongside ambulances lining the street. The local militant group, Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan, has claimed responsibility for the attack, which is widely believed to be linked to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Pakistani officials have attributed the surge in attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the southern province of Balochistan to militant activities emanating from Afghanistan, where the Taliban denies involvement. The Taliban government and the United Nations have criticized Pakistan's airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan, claiming civilian casualties.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari both condemned the attack, with the president urging for the "complete elimination of Fitna-al-Khawarij and terrorists operating with foreign backing" for national security.