ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – The death toll from an attack on a police headquarters in northern Pakistan has risen to at least 31, including 16 police officers, as security forces continued battling militants inside the compound.
The attackers stormed the Old Police Lines complex in Kohat, a town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, on Friday afternoon, triggering an explosion and gun battle.
A senior police official told AFP on Saturday that more than 100 people had also been injured, with several reported to be in critical condition.
Militants remain inside police complex
Police said several militants were still holed up inside the Special Branch section of the Kohat Police Complex.
“An exchange of fire with them has been ongoing since late last night,” the official told AFP, adding that the exact number of militants remaining inside the facility was not immediately known.
The police compound serves as a district-level headquarters and houses offices of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), Special Branch and other police units.
More than 100 injured
Kohat’s district health officer said late Friday that more than 100 people had been injured, most of them police personnel.
Several of the injured were in critical condition, raising fears that the death toll could increase.
Images from the scene showed piles of bricks, rubble and walls blown out by the attack, while soldiers armed with assault rifles guarded the damaged complex.
Ambulances were also seen gathered near the police compound as emergency teams treated and evacuated casualties.
Militant faction claims responsibility
The militant group Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan, described as a faction linked to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), has claimed responsibility for the attack.
The claim has not been independently verified.
The attack comes amid heightened militant violence in Pakistan’s western regions, particularly Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
Pakistan blames militants operating from Afghanistan
Pakistan has repeatedly accused militants operating from Afghanistan of carrying out attacks inside the country.
The Taliban government in Kabul has denied allowing Afghan territory to be used for attacks against Pakistan.
The accusations have contributed to worsening relations between the neighbouring countries and have been followed by Pakistani military strikes inside Afghanistan.
The Taliban government and the United Nations have previously reported civilian casualties from Pakistani strikes in eastern Afghanistan.
Shehbaz Sharif condemns attack
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned Friday’s attack and expressed sorrow over the casualties.
He directed authorities to ensure that injured victims receive the best available medical treatment and ordered a report into the incident.
President Asif Ali Zardari also expressed condolences to those affected and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
Zardari said the government needed to eliminate what he referred to as “Fitna-al-Khawarij” and militants operating with foreign backing, using a term Pakistan applies to the TTP.
Security operations at the police complex were continuing as authorities worked to clear the remaining militants from the facility and establish the full circumstances of the attack.
