Additional IG CTD wounded by a grenade thrown by the militants during the operation, while the death toll rose to 23.
KOHAT, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 19th Sep, 2026) The security forces’ clearance operation following the terrorist attack on the Old Police Lines and Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) building in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Kohat district was completed after continuing for approximately 22 hours.
All 7 terrorists involved in the attack were killed, while the overall death toll, including worshippers, police personnel and civilians, rose to 23. Another 103 people sustained serious injuries.
According to details, at around 1:20 p.m.
on the previous day, a suicide attacker affiliated with Fitna al-Khawarij blew himself up during Friday prayers at the mosque in the Old Police Lines on Hangu Road. Following the intensity of the blast, 7 armed terrorists breached the security cordon and entered the Special Branch and Counter-Terrorism Department buildings inside the police lines.
The alert contingents of the Pakistan Army, police and CTD immediately cordoned off the area and launched a joint operation.
Additional IG CTD Javed Qamar personally led the operation from the front and sustained a hand injury in a grenade attack by the terrorists.
However, the forces did not relent and completely cleared the building after 22 hours of continuous cordoning and firing.
It has been learned that 21 people were martyred at the scene, but the death toll later rose to 23 after more injured people succumbed to their wounds.
The victims included 15 security personnel and 8 civilians. The martyred civilians included Chief District Specialist Pediatrics Dr Israr Khan Orakzai and other employees of Liaquat Memorial Hospital.
A total of 103 people, including 73 police personnel and 30 civilians, were injured in the attack and shifted to Liaquat Memorial and DHQ hospitals. Five patients underwent laparotomy operations, while the injured were later transferred to Peshawar for further treatment.
The funeral prayers of the martyred security personnel were offered at the Old Police Lines in Kohat with full state honours.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General Zulfiqar Hamid, senior Pakistan Army officials and the civil administration attended the funeral. The martyrs were presented with a guard of honour, and their remains were dispatched to their native areas.
On the occasion, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa IG vowed that every drop of the martyrs’ blood would be avenged, all facilitators of the terrorists would be brought to justice, and the Khawarij would be given no room on the soil of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
