The death toll in the attack on a police compound in the northwestern Pakistani city of Kohat has reached 31 people, including 16 police officers, AFP reported, citing a senior local police official.
The new figures come hours after initial reports of 21 dead and more than 100 injured. Some of the injured remain in serious condition.
Meanwhile, Pakistani security forces announced that the overnight operation in the compound had ended. According to police, it lasted for about 21 hours, killing eight attackers. The operation involved commandos from the Elite Force, officers from the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and other security forces. After the fighting ended, key parts of the building complex were cleared. A senior official from the Counter-Terrorism Department was also injured during the operation. According to official information, he was injured in the hand in a grenade attack, received first aid and subsequently returned to the scene of the operation.
Accepted responsibility for the attack
There are also new developments regarding the perpetrators.
Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan, an armed group associated with the Pakistani Taliban Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its commander Hafiz Gul Bahadur, has claimed responsibility for the attack.
This is a significant change from the initial reports immediately after the attack, when it was not clear which organization was behind the attack.
According to police, after the initial explosion, armed men entered the complex and headed for the Special Branch and the Intelligence Bureau buildings. counter-terrorism. Some of them have entrenched themselves inside, which led to the prolonged operation.
The Kohat complex is an important target for Pakistani security forces, as it houses units of the police intelligence and counter-terrorism services.
A high-ranking police officer and a doctor are among the victims
Among the dead are the traffic police chief Akbar Shinwari and Dr. Israel Orakzai, head of the pediatric department of the local hospital.
Funeral ceremonies for 15 of the dead policemen took place on Friday evening, after which their bodies were transported to their native areas.
The latest AFP figures put the death toll at at least 31, but different official and media sources are still reporting different numbers. The Associated Press, for example, continues to list 21 dead and 103 wounded.
The discrepancy will likely be cleared up once the identification and assessment of the consequences of the attack are finally completed.
The attack comes amid increased activity by armed groups in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan.
Pakistan has blamed Afghan-based militants for some of the attacks on its territory. Taliban authorities in Kabul have denied accusations that they allow Afghan territory to be used for attacks against Pakistan.
The attack in Kohat and the nearly 24-hour operation show the scale of the challenge facing Pakistani security forces in the northwest of the country.