Taliban condemns mosque blast in Pakistan’s Kohat that killed at least 31

At least 31 people have been killed and dozens more injured in an explosion near a mosque in the city of Kohat in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The incident took place as Friday prayers were being held near the old Police Lines mosque.

According to Pakistani police, initial investigations indicate that a vehicle packed with explosives was driven toward the mosque, and the resulting blast caused severe damage to the mosque building.

Reports say the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Further details about the identities of the victims and the condition of the injured have not yet been released.

In response to the incident, the foreign ministry of the Taliban administration issued a statement on Saturday, 28 September, condemning the attack. The ministry described targeting holy places as an “unjustifiable and condemnable act” and expressed sympathy with the families of the victims.

Kohat is one of the cities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in northwestern Pakistan, a region that has repeatedly witnessed deadly attacks on mosques and public places in recent years.