Suicide attack kills 16 at Pakistan police mosque

A suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a police compound in northwestern Pakistan on Friday, killing at least 16 people and wounding more than 50 during prayers at a mosque inside the facility, officials said. The attack in the city of Kohat, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, marked the latest in a surge of militant violence targeting security forces near the Afghan border. Provincial police chief Zulfikar Hameed confirmed the assault was a suicide attack. The vehicle struck the outer wall of the Old Police Lines compound as police personnel, their families, and other civilians gathered for Friday prayers. Following the explosion, gunmen accompanying the bomber engaged in a gun battle with security forces. At least 16 people were killed, including five police officers, and more than 50 were wounded, according to hospital and rescue officials. The death toll could rise as several of the injured were reported to be in critical condition. The blast caused severe damage, collapsing the mosque's outer section and the compound's boundary wall. Videos from the scene showed rescuers and residents pulling the wounded from the rubble.