IED event in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Kohat area, Pakistan on Fri 18th September 2026

At least 22 persons, including 15 Policemen, were killed while more than 100 others sustained injuries on September 18 when an explosives-laden vehicle detonated near a mosque in Police Lines of Kohat town (Kohat District) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), followed by terrorists storming the compound and attacking Police facilities, reports Dawn. Traffic Superintendent of Police (SP) Akbar Shinwari and Dr Israel Orakzai, head of the children’s department at District Headquarter (DHQ) Kohat Development Authority (KDA) were among those killed in the attack. According to KP Inspector General (IG) Zulfiqar Hameed, the attack began when a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) detonated at the boundary wall near the mosque inside the Kohat Police Lines. At least seven terrorists then breached the compound and headed towards the CTD and Special Branch buildings. Seven terrorists, including a suicide bomber, were killed by Security Forces (SFs). The Ittihadul Mujahideen Pakistan (IMP), an alliance led by Hafiz Gul Bahadar Group, claimed responsibility for the attack.