Suicide attack at mosque during Friday prayers in Pakistan; 16 killed, 56 injured

PESHAWAR: At least 16 people were killed and 56 injured in a suicide blast at a mosque in Pakistan during Friday prayers. The incident took place at a mosque in Kohat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in northwestern Pakistan. Most of those injured were believers who had come to the mosque for prayers. Many of them remain in critical condition.

According to authorities, the attackers rammed a vehicle packed with explosives into the mosque. Police said an encounter took place between security personnel and two armed attackers who attempted to enter the police headquarters. Hospital authorities confirmed that five policemen and 10 local residents were among those killed. Authorities also said one of the attackers was killed.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack. The incident came a day after six soldiers were killed when a roadside bomb exploded while targeting a security forces convoy in Hangu district. The Army and police had also said on Thursday that 10 militants belonging to the Pakistan Taliban were killed during raids conducted by security forces in various areas.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa shares a border with Afghanistan. The Pakistan Taliban, which has links with the Afghan Taliban, has been carrying out attacks targeting police personnel and civilians in Pakistan for some time. Pakistan has accused Afghanistan of supporting the militants. However, the Afghan authorities have rejected the allegation. In 2023, a suicide bomb blast at a mosque in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killed 101 people.