Suicide car bombing and accompanying gunfire struck a police compound in northwest Pakistan's Kohat city within Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province Friday, leaving at least 16 people dead—including five law enforcement personnel—while worshippers offered Friday prayers at an internal mosque, provincial police chief Zulfikar Hameed confirmed.

The explosive-laden vehicle breached an outer facility wall as accompanying gunmen opened fire, executing what authorities identified as a suicide blast.

Ongoing gunfire continued between security forces and remaining assailants, with one suicide vest-wearing militant confirmed slain.

Formal responsibility claims remain unissued.

Condemning the incident, the interior ministry stated that the cowardly actions of the attackers could not weaken the nation's firm resolve.

Escalating borderland insurgency increasingly targets security forces, with Islamabad attributing militant staging grounds to Afghan territory—an allegation rejected by Afghanistan's Taliban administration, which frames the violence as Pakistan's internal challenge.

Source: Reuters