KOHAT: The death toll from the deadly blast near a mosque inside the old Police Lines in Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has risen to 24, while security forces have successfully completed a clearance operation against militants in the area.
According to officials, security forces killed all the militants hiding inside the Police Lines, including the last two suicide bombers, during the prolonged operation. A total of seven to eight militants, referred to by authorities as “Khwarij,” were killed in the operation.
Pakistan Army commandos, the Elite Force and Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) personnel jointly cleared key sections of the buildings before taking full control of the area and handing it back to the local police.
Additional Inspector General CTD Qamar Javed was among the personnel injured during the operation and is receiving medical treatment. The bodies of the militants killed during the operation are being collected.
Death Toll and Injuries
According to official sources, 17 police personnel are among those killed in the deadly attack. More than 130 people were injured, several of them critically, raising concerns that the death toll could increase further.
Funeral prayers for the martyred police personnel have been offered, with senior military and civilian officials as well as a large number of citizens attending.
Meanwhile, the injured continue to be shifted to nearby and major hospitals for treatment. Following the Kohat incident, eight injured people were taken to Peshawar’s Lady Reading Hospital. Those currently receiving treatment there include six police personnel and one civilian, while one injured person has reportedly been discharged after receiving treatment.
