BREAKING: Bloodbath at Pakistan Mosque as Suicide Blast Kills 21, Injures 103

KOHAT, Pakistan — Friday prayers turned into a scene of horror in Pakistan on Friday as a powerful suicide attack ripped through a mosque inside a police compound in Kohat, leaving at least 21 people dead and 103 others injured.

The devastating attack, which struck the Old Police Lines in Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, claimed the lives of 15 police personnel and six civilians, while 73 policemen and 30 civilians were injured, according to health officials.

The attack occurred at about 1:20pm local time, when worshippers had gathered for the weekly Friday prayers at the mosque located inside the heavily guarded Police Lines compound.

Eyewitness accounts and initial reports described scenes of panic as a massive explosion tore through the facility, sending debris flying and trapping victims beneath damaged sections of the mosque and surrounding buildings.

According to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector-General of Police Zulfiqar Hamid, an explosives-laden vehicle was rammed into the gate of the old Police Lines before detonating, unleashing the devastating blast.

The explosion caused extensive damage to the police facility and mosque, with parts of the structure collapsing as worshippers and police officers were caught in the blast.

But the nightmare did not end with the explosion.

As rescue workers rushed to evacuate the wounded, gunfire erupted inside the compound after armed militants reportedly attempted to force their way deeper into the police facility.

A further suicide explosion was also reported near the Special Branch building during the ensuing confrontation between the attackers and security forces.

READ ALSO:

• Xenophobia: FG Brings 33 More Nigerians Home From South Africa
• Falconets Thrash England 3-0, Face Colombia in U-20 World Cup Quarter-Finals
• Replace Fuel Subsidy With Vehicle Credit to Drive Mobility, Jobs,LCCI, Ilekuba tell FG

Police said seven armed attackers had entered the compound following the initial assault, triggering a fierce firefight involving police and Counter-Terrorism Department personnel.

Security forces eventually killed the attackers, including a suicide bomber and a sniper, as they battled to regain control of the compound.

The scale of the casualties overwhelmed medical facilities in Kohat, forcing the District Headquarters Hospital to declare an emergency.

Ambulances raced to the scene as doctors and medical workers treated scores of victims suffering blast injuries, gunshot wounds and injuries caused by collapsing structures.

Health authorities put the number of injured at 103, with 73 police personnel and 30 civilians among those receiving treatment.

Some of the wounded were reportedly in critical condition, while rescue teams continued searching the damaged compound for possible survivors trapped under debris.

The heavy police casualties were attributed to the location and timing of the attack, with officers among those gathered inside the mosque for Friday prayers.

Among those reportedly killed were SP Traffic Akbar Shinwari and Dr Israel Orakzai, head of the children’s department at DHQ KDA Kohat, according to Pakistani media reports.

Security forces subsequently cordoned off the area and restricted movement around the Police Lines as investigators began examining the scene and searching for explosives or possible accomplices.

The Kohat-Hangu Road was also closed temporarily as security and rescue operations continued.

The attack triggered widespread outrage across Pakistan, with President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemning the bombing and mourning the victims.

Sharif directed authorities to ensure that the injured received immediate and adequate medical treatment while security agencies were ordered to investigate the attack.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi also condemned the assault and directed officials to mobilise available resources for the treatment of the wounded.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi expressed solidarity with the families of those killed and injured, as condemnation poured in from within and outside Pakistan.

Countries including Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, Russia, Poland, Australia and Jordan also condemned the attack and expressed sympathy with the victims and their families.

The Kohat bombing comes against the backdrop of an escalating militant threat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, one of Pakistan’s most violence-prone regions.

The province, which shares a border with Afghanistan, has witnessed repeated attacks targeting police, soldiers and civilians.

The latest bloodshed also came shortly after a roadside bombing in neighbouring Hangu district reportedly killed six soldiers, further raising security concerns in the region.

Pakistan has repeatedly accused militants linked to the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) of using hideouts in Afghanistan to launch attacks inside Pakistan. Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities have consistently rejected allegations that they permit their territory to be used for attacks against Pakistan.

Responsibility for the Kohat attack remained disputed in the immediate aftermath.

While later reports attributed a claim to a faction associated with the TTP, other reports said the TTP denied involvement. Security authorities have therefore continued investigations to establish the identity of those behind the attack and determine whether others assisted the attackers.

The deadly incident has also drawn painful memories of the January 2023 Police Lines mosque bombing in Peshawar, in which more than 100 people, mostly police officers, were killed.

For residents of Kohat, Friday’s attack once again turned a place of worship into a battlefield, leaving families searching for loved ones and hospitals struggling to cope with the influx of casualties.

As security agencies combed through the wreckage and investigators worked to establish the circumstances surrounding the assault, the death toll and number of injured remained subject to further updates.

At least 21 people are confirmed dead and 103 injured in the latest official figures, with fears that the casualty figures could change as authorities complete rescue and medical operations.

BREAKING: Bloodbath at Pakistan Mosque as Suicide Blast Kills 21, Injures 103

Teen Gunman Kills Two Students, Injures Eight in Philippine School

A school shooting in the Philippines has left two 14-year-old students dead and eight others injured after a 16-year-old student opened fire at Banga National High School in South Cotabato before taking his own life.

The incident happened at about 1:30 p.m. on Friday, September 18, in Banga town on the southern island of Mindanao, sending students fleeing from the school as emergency responders moved in to attend to the victims.

South Cotabato Governor Reynaldo Tamayo said the two students killed were a boy and a girl, both aged 14. The suspected shooter, a Grade 9 student at the school, also died after shooting himself following the attack.

Banga Mayor Albert Palencia said the teenager opened fire inside a classroom neighbouring his own, hitting 10 students. Two of the victims died while eight others were wounded. Four of those injured were reported to be in critical condition.

The mayor said the teenager had reportedly warned some of his friends before the shooting that he intended to carry out a plan after lunch and advised them to go home because they could become involved. His friends reportedly dismissed the warning, believing he was joking.

After lunch, the teenager reportedly left his classroom and entered a neighbouring classroom, where he began shooting at fellow students. He then changed the magazine of the firearm before shooting himself.

Authorities are investigating how the teenager obtained the firearm and brought it into the school.

According to local officials, the gun belonged to the teenager’s father, an employee of the Philippine Department of Education. The firearm had reportedly been kept in a secured vault, which the teenager allegedly broke open before taking the weapon to school.

The circumstances surrounding the weapon have become a major focus of the investigation, particularly because the suspected shooter was a minor.

South Cotabato Governor Tamayo urged gun owners and parents to ensure that firearms are securely stored and inaccessible to children, stressing that school security personnel alone cannot prevent every possible threat.

Authorities are also investigating reports about the teenager’s involvement in an online True Crime Community, described by officials as an internet group where young people discuss violent crimes and, in some cases, glorify school shooters.

READ ALSO:

• Xenophobia: FG Brings 33 More Nigerians Home From South Africa
• Falconets Thrash England 3-0, Face Colombia in U-20 World Cup Quarter-Finals
• Replace Fuel Subsidy With Vehicle Credit to Drive Mobility, Jobs,LCCI, Ilekuba tell FG

Authorities have not established that the online activity caused or directly motivated the attack, and investigations into the teenager’s background and possible motive remain ongoing.

The teenager’s mother had reportedly expressed concern about him and was considering taking him for psychiatric assistance, according to information cited by local officials. The circumstances surrounding his behaviour and possible motive remain under investigation.

Emergency responders took the injured students to hospitals in the area, including the South Cotabato Provincial Hospital and Surallah Community Hospital.

The Philippine Department of Education said the safety and wellbeing of students, teachers and school personnel remained its immediate priority. In-person classes in the affected area were suspended, while authorities coordinated medical assistance and psychosocial support for students and staff affected by the incident.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered a thorough investigation into the shooting, particularly how a minor was able to obtain a firearm and bring it inside a school.

Marcos also expressed condolences to the families of the victims and directed relevant authorities to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The shooting has renewed concerns over school security, gun storage and minors’ access to firearms in the Philippines, particularly as the country has experienced several deadly school attacks in recent months.

The Banga incident is the third deadly school shooting in the Philippines since June.

In June, a shooting at a public high school in Tacloban City left three students dead and about 20 others injured after two students reportedly opened fire on the campus.

In August, another student in Zamboanga reportedly livestreamed the killing of a fellow student before taking his own life.

The incidents have prompted increased attention to school security and emergency preparedness. The Philippine Department of Education conducted nationwide school safety drills earlier this month as part of efforts to improve responses to armed attacks and other emergencies.

Authorities are now expected to examine not only the circumstances of the Banga shooting but also how the teenager gained access to the weapon, how it was taken into the school and whether any online activity contributed to his actions.

Early reports from authorities gave different casualty figures as emergency teams responded to the shooting. Later reports from local officials, police and national news agencies converged around two student deaths, the death of the 16-year-old suspected gunman and eight injured students, although some reports continued to carry different figures while the investigation was ongoing.

The Banga community is now mourning the two young students killed in the attack, while the injured students remain under medical care and authorities continue their investigation into the country’s latest deadly school shooting.

Teen Gunman Kills Two Students, Injures Eight in Philippine School

Ninth Body Discovered in South Africa: Nigeria Issues Urgent Safety Alert to Nationals

Police cordon off Kempton Park and post a $56,000 combined bounty as the Nigerian Consulate warns citizens to exercise heightened vigilance.

South African police recovered the body of a ninth woman on Thursday along a roadside in Dawn Park, intensifying public alarm and prompting the Nigerian Consulate-General in Johannesburg to issue an emergency safety advisory to its citizens.

In response to the discoveries, law enforcement teams placed Kempton Park in the Ekurhuleni municipality under lockdown and established roadblocks to inspect vehicles and restrict suspect movement.

Deputy Police Chief Tebello Mosikili declared during a press conference that authorities will deploy specialized investigative units to track down those responsible.

To accelerate breakthroughs, police offered a 400,000 rand ($25,000) reward for credible tips, while South Africa’s Democratic Alliance provided an additional $31,000, establishing a combined bounty of $56,000.

Detectives are now evaluating forensic evidence to determine whether one perpetrator committed the murders or whether independent offenders copied earlier attacks.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Consulate-General urged Nigerian residents, especially women and young people who commute, exercise, or study around Ekurhuleni, to take deliberate personal precautions.

The mission advised community members to travel in groups, stay clear of isolated trails, and share real-time travel details with trusted family members.

Furthermore, diplomatic officials emphasized that safety precautions must not shift the burden of crime prevention onto women, calling on South African authorities to ensure thorough investigations and justice for every victim.

Ninth Body Discovered in South Africa: Nigeria Issues Urgent Safety Alert to Nationals