Eight attackers killed in Pakistan after Kohat attack — Dawn
In Pakistan, an overnight operation to clear the old police complex in Kohat district after an attack near a mosque has concluded. Police in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province said that eight attackers were killed during the operation by police and security forces, Dawn reports.
Overnight operation
According to police, personnel from an elite unit, the Counter Terrorism Department and security forces cleared key premises of the complex. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hameed was present at the scene. The operation was led by the deputy inspector general of the Counter Terrorism Department, the Kohat regional police officer and the district police officer.
Police also said that the deputy head of the Counter Terrorism Department sustained a hand injury in a grenade attack during the operation. After receiving first aid, he returned to the front line, the department said in a statement.
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Victims of the attack
The attack occurred on Friday: a vehicle packed with explosives detonated near a mosque on the grounds of the old police complex. After the explosion, armed attackers entered the complex and attacked police facilities. According to the publication, at least 21 people were killed, including 15 police officers, while more than 100 others were injured.
Those killed included traffic police chief Akbar Shinwari, the head of the pediatric department at the district hospital, Dr. Israel Orakzai, as well as employees of the Special Branch and the Counter Terrorism Department. The Ittehadul Mujahideen group, led by Hafiz Gul Bahadur, claimed responsibility for the attack.
Funeral prayers for the 15 slain police officers were held in Kohat on Friday evening. Their bodies were later transported to their home districts of Kohat, Karak, Lakki Marwat, Bannu and Mardan. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi ordered the preparation of a detailed report on the attack and the provision of urgent treatment to the injured.
