The blast tore through the mosque in Kohat, shattering doors and windows, and sending a wave of smoke across the courtyard. Twenty‑one people lost their lives, and 103 others were injured, with 15 police officers among the dead.
The joint probe team—comprising local police, the counter‑terrorism department, the Elite Force, and other security forces—has been mobilized to track down a second bomber whose identity remains unknown.
Islamabad has repeatedly warned that Afghan Taliban may be harbouring elements of the Tehreek‑e‑Taliban Pakistan, a claim the Afghan Taliban denies. The government has accused Afghanistan‑based militant groups of threatening regional security through terrorism and cross‑border infiltration.
The attack was claimed by Ittehad‑ul‑Mujahideen Pakistan, a coalition formed last April that includes the Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group, Harakat Inqilab‑e‑Islami Pakistan, and Lashkar‑e‑Islam. Authorities plan to prosecute the identified bomber at a special court hearing scheduled for next week.