At least 31 killed in car bomb, gun attack on Pakistan police compound

A car bomb and gun attack on a police compound in northwestern Pakistan killed at least 31 people and wounded more than 100 others. Sixteen of the dead were police officers.

According to AFP, the attack took place Friday afternoon at the "Old Police Lines" compound in Kohat, a city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Attackers drove a vehicle packed with explosives into the compound and detonated it near a mosque inside. Armed assailants then stormed the site and opened fire, triggering a fierce exchange with police that continued for some time within the compound.

A local police official told AFP that at least 31 people were killed, including 16 officers, and more than 100 were injured. The official said several militants were still hiding inside the compound. "A gunfight with them has been going on since late last night. The exact number is still unclear," the official said.

The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the country's most prominent militant group, denied involvement in the attack. Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan, a local armed group affiliated with the TTP, claimed responsibility.

The Pakistani government vowed a strong response. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack, offered condolences to the victims and directed authorities to spare no effort in treating the wounded and carrying out rescue operations. President Asif Ali Zardari also expressed regret, saying the complete elimination of terrorists backed by outside forces — referring to the TTP by the designation "Fitna al-Khawarij" — was essential to national security.

The TTP is a militant organization that seeks to overthrow the Pakistani government and establish a state governed by Sharia, or Islamic law. Though separate from the Afghan Taliban, the two groups have long cooperated on the basis of shared ideology.

Operating from hideouts in Afghanistan and crossing the border to carry out attacks, the TTP has long been considered one of Pakistan's most persistent security threats.