&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "At least 16 killed, over 50 injured after blast in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa")
At least 16 people, including five police personnel, were killed and more than 50 were injured after a powerful blast struck a historic police headquarters in northwestern Pakistan on Friday (Sep 18), according to reports. The explosion occurred in Kohat, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that borders Afghanistan. Bilal Faizi, a senior rescue official, said that most of those injured were worshippers. The victims were taken to a nearby hospital, and an emergency was declared by the authorities to handle the influx of casualties. Health officials said that some of the wounded were brought in critical condition, raising fears that the death toll may rise.
While an initial account by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General Zulfikar Hameed suggested that an attacker rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into the mosque, a later statement said that a suicide bomber detonated himself near the Special Branch Building. An investigation was underway to determine the nature of the blast.
According to an AP report, citing local police, at least two gunmen also attempted to enter the police compound and exchanged gunfire with the personnel. The police also said that the blast was so powerful that it badly damaged nearby homes and shops.
While no group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari blamed the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) for the bombing. He also expressed “regret” over the casualties, sending his “best wishes for the speedy recovery of those injured in the blast”.
“The complete elimination of Fitna-al-Khawarij and terrorists operating with foreign backing is essential for national security,” Zardari said, using another term for the TTP group.
Pakistan has attributed the rise in militant violence across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan to groups it says operate from Afghanistan. The Taliban authorities in Kabul have rejected the allegations and denied any role in attacks inside Pakistan.
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The dispute has deepened tensions between the two neighbours, with clashes and military action escalating along the border. Pakistan has also conducted airstrikes inside Afghanistan, saying the operations were aimed at militant targets.
Following the latest strikes in eastern Afghanistan in June, both the Taliban government and the United Nations reported that dozens of civilians had been killed.
