Kohat Police Lines attack: Eight militants killed as forces conclude clearance operation
· Geo News- KP IGP says forces achieved success after overnight operation.
- Senior officials remained present throughout operation: CPO.
- Terrorists open fire on police post at main gate of Kohat courts.
Eight militants were killed after police and security forces completed an operation following the deadly attack at Kohat Police Lines in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the Central Police Office (CPO) said on Saturday.
According to the CPO, police and security forces carried out a joint operation against the militants following the blast targeting a mosque inside the Police Lines during Friday prayer a day earlier.
At least 22 people, including 16 police officials, were martyred and 103 others injured in the explosion.
At the time, KP Inspector General of Police (IGP) Zulfiqar Hamid told Geo News that an explosives-laden vehicle rammed into the gate of the old police lines before the blast.
"The vehicle hit the gate and then exploded, and firing also took place," IGP Hameed said. The KP IGP said that another suicide blast occurred at the Special Branch building during the exchange of fire with terrorists.
Meanwhile, the CPO said that Elite Force commandos, Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) teams and security forces cleared key sections of the Police Lines during the operation.
It said that the operation was led by the Additional IG CTD, the Regional Police Officer (RPO) and the Kohat District Police Officer (DPO).
The CPO added that IGP Hameed and other senior officials remained present at the site throughout the operation.
IGP Hameed said law enforcement agencies achieved success after an overnight operation. "The police, CTD and security forces fought bravely."
Separately, security sources said that the Pakistan Army launched operation after Fajr prayer and killed the last two suicide bombers hiding inside the Police Lines.
Security sources said that seven militants were killed in the operation, directly supervised by the General Officer Commanding (GOC) Kohat.
Army commandos and personnel, along with the bomb disposal squad, subsequently cleared the area and handed it over to police, according to security sources.
In a separate incident, terrorists opened fire on a police post at the main gate of the courts in Kohat, damaging the post.
Police said the firing took place at the police post established at the main gate of the district courts, with no casualties reported.
According to police, all offices and district courts near the Police Lines have been closed as authorities took additional security measures.
Police said that an emergency was declared in Kohat, with intensified checking at all entry and exit points of the city.