In Pakistan, an explosion near a mosque has claimed the lives of 16 people

In Pakistan, an explosion near a mosque has led to the deaths of 16 people

In the Pakistani city of Kohat, an explosion occurred near a mosque during Friday prayers. As a result, 16 people were killed and another 56 were injured. The blast created a crater near the mosque, damaged the exterior of the building, and caused a wall to collapse.

According to India Today, citing police and hospital officials, the dead include five police officers and 11 civilians. The victims were taken to the Kohat District Headquarters Hospital, where a state of emergency was declared.

The mosque is located inside the Old Police Lines complex. According to preliminary police data, a vehicle laden with explosives rammed the gates of the complex, after which the explosion occurred. Gunfire was also heard in the area afterward.

Following the explosion, armed men attempted to enter the police complex, after which a shootout ensued between them and police officers.

Rescuers arrived at the scene and began evacuating the injured. Police and security forces cordoned off the area, and traffic on the Kohat-Hangu road was blocked.

The blast also damaged several nearby buildings. Local residents reported that the sound of the explosion was heard from a great distance.

So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack. A regional group linked to ISIS, as well as the Pakistani movement Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), operate in the region and regularly carry out attacks on security forces.

The attack occurred a day after a roadside bomb blast in the neighboring Hangu district. In that attack on a security forces convoy, six servicemen were killed.

A day before the explosion, Pakistani security forces also conducted operations in several areas and claimed to have killed ten militants whom authorities believe to be members of the TTP.

Earlier, a fire on the cargo ship Ocean Melody in the Chinese port of Qingdao killed at least 20 people, with another five reported missing. Five injured individuals were hospitalized, and their condition is assessed as stable.