Around 21 Pakistani security personnel were killed and dozens more injured in a suicide bombing during Friday prayers at the police lines in Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Some civilians deaths are feared but their exact number could not be ascertained. The facility was struck post noon with a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device, enabling multiple attackers to force their way inside the premises, shooting indiscriminately.An SP-rank officer, a deputy SP and three inspectors of the CTD were among those killed, sources said. Around 80 individuals, mostly police personnel, were admitted to hospitals for treatment. The toll is likely to rise as many of the injured were reported to be critical.No group officially claimed the attack till late Friday though the role of Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan (IMP), an umbrella militant alliance formed by three armed groups operating in the region, is alleged. Another group named Inqilabi Islami Pakistan, affiliated to al-Qaida in the Indian subcontinent, also claimed the attack on Telegram.The explosion occurred near a mosque in the facility, reducing the building to rubble and prompting a major rescue and clearing operation. Three to five gunmen besides the driver of the car laden with explosives are suspected to have participated in the attack and were seen attempting to enter the police compound while exchanging fire. The car exploded after ramming into the mosque’s entrance wall. Videos uploaded by locals on social media showed the extent of the damage and people frantically running for cover amid dense smoke.Pro-IMP accounts on Telegram claimed the attack, saying their Al Badr suicide brigade had carried out an ‘Ishtashadi operation’ at the counter-terrorism division premises.
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