PESHAWAR, SEPTEMBER 18: At least 16 people, including five police personnel, were killed and more than 50 others injured in a suicide blast at a mosque near the Police Lines in Kohat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, officials said.
The explosion took place during Friday prayers at a mosque located near the old Police Lines area in Kohat, around 60 kilometres southwest of Peshawar.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police Chief Zulfiqar Hameed said the victims included five police personnel and 11 civilians.
According to officials at the District Headquarters Hospital, multiple casualties were brought to the facility following the blast, along with more than 50 injured people. Most of those wounded were reportedly worshippers who had gathered for Friday prayers.
The powerful explosion caused significant damage around the mosque and reportedly left a crater outside the premises.
Rescue 1122 teams were dispatched to the site shortly after receiving information about the blast. Rescue officials said the injured were shifted to nearby hospitals for medical treatment.
Security personnel and rescue teams remained at the scene as authorities assessed the extent of the damage and continued relief operations.
No group or individual has so far claimed responsibility for the attack.
Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the blast and identify those responsible.
