Suicide Bombing at Kohat Police Lines Mosque Kills at Least 21 During Friday Prayers; Ittehadul Mujahideen Claims Attack

A vehicle-borne IED detonated at the entrance of a mosque inside the Kohat Police Lines compound in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during Friday prayers on September 18, 2026, followed by roughly seven gunmen storming the compound and exchanging fire with police. Dawn reported at least 21 people killed — 15 police officers and 6 civilians — and more than 100 injured, with 3 in critical condition; among the dead were SP Traffic Akbar Shinwari and Dr. Israel Orakzai, head of the children's department at DHQ Kohat. Al Jazeera and other outlets cited local officials putting the toll as high as 27 killed and 50-75 wounded, figures not yet reconciled with the police account. Security forces killed six of the attackers during the clearance operation; one gunman reportedly remained inside the compound as of the last update. Ittehadul Mujahideen — an alliance of the Hafiz Gul Bahadur faction of TTP, Harakat Inqilab-e-Islami Pakistan and Lashkar-e-Islam formed in April 2025 — claimed responsibility. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa IGP Zulfiqar Hameed said the operation against 'Fitna-ul-Khawarij' would continue until its complete elimination; Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack and ordered rescue efforts accelerated.