Pakistan's security forces successfully concluded a 22-hour clearance operation inside the Kohat Police Lines compound, neutralizing all eight infiltrating militants following a complex suicide assault and multi-building hostage standoff that left 23 people dead and 103 injured.
How did security forces conclude the 22-hour Kohat police compound operation?
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Zulfiqar Hameed confirmed that police, Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) teams, Elite Force commandos, and military personnel completely secured the facility after eliminating the remaining insurgents holed up inside.
The frontline assault was led directly by the Additional Inspector General of the CTD—who sustained a hand injury during a grenade attack on Thursday afternoon, received emergency first aid, and returned to oversee tactical movements—alongside the Regional Police Officer and District Police Officer of Kohat, with the Kohat Garrison Officer Commanding also present on site.
The clearance operation faced significant complications as several militants gained access to weapons and ammunition stored inside internal armories. While authorities initially considered demolishing affected sections of the building overnight, high-resolution thermal drone reconnaissance detected surviving police officers and trapped personnel inside, prompting commanders to hold off on structural demolition and proceed with a methodical room-by-room clearance.
After the final sweep, IGP Zulfiqar Hameed commended the tactical units for their bravery and announced formal rewards for officers and personnel who took part in the high-risk operation.
What is the final casualty count and who claimed responsibility for the assault?
District Health Officer Dr. Nasir Hassan Afridi and local police authorities confirmed that the total death toll rose to 23 after emergency teams recovered two additional bodies from the compound during final sweeps.
The casualties include more than 10 police personnel—among them SP Farid, Inspector Ishtiaq, and SP Traffic Akbar Shinwari—alongside several civilians. A total of 103 people sustained injuries, comprising 73 police officers and 30 civilians, with three to five critically wounded patients transferred to specialized facilities in Peshawar for advanced care.
The assault commenced around 1:20 PM on Thursday when a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device detonated near a mosque in the old Police Lines area. Heavily armed suicide attackers subsequently breached the compound gates and stormed the Special Branch building and CTD facility.
The Tehreek-e-Taliban Gul Bahadur (TTG) faction claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that its Al-Badar Istishhadi Battalion executed the combined strike under the banner of Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan (IMP).
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