September 19, 2026
By Xari Jalil
LAHORE
Security forces and police on Saturday, September 19, completed an overnight clearance operation at the Old Police Lines in Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killing eight militants who had entered the compound following a suicide attack and armed assault during Friday prayers.
According to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police, the clearance operation lasted approximately 21 hours, while the Central Police Office and other local reports described it as a nearly 22-hour operation. Elite Force commandos, Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) teams and security forces took part in clearing key sections of the police complex.
The attack began on Friday afternoon when an explosives-laden vehicle struck the Old Police Lines compound in Kohat. According to KP Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hameed, the vehicle hit the gate before exploding, after which firing took place inside the compound.
Following the blast at the Old Police Lines Mosque in Kohat, terrorists attempted to infiltrate; 8 terrorists were killed in retaliatory action by police and security forces.
IG KP Zulfiqar Hameed lauded the officers who took part in the operation and announced rewards. pic.twitter.com/OYvB81LjyF
— KP Police (@KP_Police1) September 19, 2026
The complex includes the district-level police headquarters as well as offices of the CTD, Special Branch and other police units. The compound also houses personnel involved in counterterrorism operations in the province.
Following the initial blast, armed militants entered the compound and took positions inside the buildings, including the Special Branch section. Police and security forces subsequently launched a clearance operation, with exchanges of fire continuing through the night.
The KP Police said on Saturday that eight militants were killed during the retaliatory operation and that important sections of the compound had been cleared.
The operation was led by the Additional Inspector General of the CTD, the Kohat Regional Police Officer and the Kohat District Police Officer, with the KP police chief and other senior security officials present at the site, according to the police statement.
The Additional IG of the CTD was also injured during the operation after militants reportedly threw a grenade. A CTD statement said he received first aid before returning to the frontline to supervise the operation.
Death toll remains disputed
The attack caused heavy casualties among police personnel and civilians.
KP police and local health authorities initially reported 21 deaths, including 15 police officials, with more than 100 people injured. The death toll subsequently increased.
On Saturday the death toll had risen to 23, including 17 policemen and six civilians, according to police and CTD officials. The Central Police Office, however, was reported by many media outlets as putting the toll at 22, including 16 police officials.
International reporting has carried a still higher figure. AFP reported that at least 31 people, including 16 police personnel, had been killed, with more than 100 injured. The discrepancy appears to reflect the rapidly changing casualty count as bodies were recovered and victims were brought to hospitals.
Among those reported killed were SP Traffic Akbar Shinwari, Dr Israel Orakzai, head of the paediatric department at the District Headquarters Hospital, as well as personnel from the Special Branch and CTD.
Funeral prayers for police personnel killed in the attack were held in Kohat on Friday evening, after which their bodies were transported to their native districts, including Kohat, Karak, Lakki Marwat, Bannu and Mardan.
Responsibility claimed
The attack was claimed by Ittehadul Mujahideen Pakistan, a militant group linked in reporting to Hafiz Gul Bahadur. The group claimed responsibility for the attack according to sources. The attack comes amid continued militant violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and heightened security concerns along Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan.
Afghan national identified as suicide bomber
Separately, Pakistani security sources told local media that one of the suicide bombers involved in the attack had been identified as an Afghan national.
According to those sources, the bomber was identified as Mutiullah, an Afghan citizen. They said the final phase of the clearance operation was carried out by Army commandos after dawn, when the remaining militants, including two suicide bombers, were killed.
The claim regarding the bomber’s nationality was attributed to security sources and had not been independently verified.
Additional security measures
Following the attack, security was tightened across Kohat, with additional checking at entry and exit points. Police also closed offices and district courts located near the Police Lines as part of heightened security measures.
Rescue 1122 said its relief and rescue operation had also concluded. According to Dawn, 24 rescue vehicles, including ambulances and recovery vehicles, participated in the response.
The Kohat attack has drawn renewed attention to the security of police facilities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, particularly compounds housing counterterrorism and intelligence units.
The Old Police Lines itself had previously been targeted. In 2010, a remote-controlled bomb exploded in a police colony located behind the Police Lines during Ramadan, killing 20 people and injuring more than 90.