Suicide blasts kill at least 16 during Friday prayers in northwest Pakistan

At least 16 people have been killed after suicide blasts during Friday prayers hit a police compound in Kohat, northwest Pakistan, officials said. 

Worshippers were gathered at a mosque within the complex when an explosive-laden vehicle rammed into the gate of the complex and exploded, local police chief Zulfikar Hameed said. 

A second explosion later struck another police building nearby, followed by an exchange of gunfire between attackers and security forces. 

Police said three militants had been killed in the ensuing gun battle, with earlier reports suggesting a fourth attacker wearing a suicide vest had also died. No group has yet claimed responsibility.

Five officers among dead 

Of the 16 people killed in the attacks, five were police personnel and 11 were civilians, Hameed added. Most of the victims are believed to be worshippers who had gathered for the weekly prayers.

The blasts tore through the mosque's outer wall and left a crater outside the building, according to rescue officials, who said more than 50 injured people were taken to a local hospital.

Rescue teams and local volunteers were seen sifting through debris in search of survivors, and roads leading to the site were sealed off as a security measure.

Pakistan's Interior Ministry condemned what it called the “cowardly actions” of the perpetrators of the attack, adding that the incident wouldn’t weaken the country's resolve.

The attack is the latest in a spate of militant attacks in Pakistan's border regions this year, with police and the military increasingly targeted.

Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of harbouring militants 

Islamabad has repeatedly accused militants of using safe havens across the border in Afghanistan to plan and launch such attacks.

The Taliban government in Kabul has denied the allegations, insisting that militancy is Pakistan's internal problem.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the province where the attack occurred, borders Afghanistan and has for years borne the brunt of Pakistan’s militant violence. 

Police stations, checkpoints and security personnel in the region are frequently the targets of both suicide bombings and armed ambushes.

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