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The Saudi Foreign Ministry on Friday expressed its strong condemnation and denunciation of the terrorist attack that targeted a mosque in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, resulting in multiple deaths and injuries. In a statement distributed by the Saudi Press Agency, the ministry reaffirmed the kingdom’s consistent rejection of attacks on places of worship, the intimidation of civilians and the shedding of innocent blood. It expressed full solidarity with Pakistan against all forms of violence, extremism and terrorism regardless of motives, while offering sincere condolences to the victims’ families, the government and the people of Pakistan and wishing the injured a swift recovery.
Pakistani authorities reported that a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the outer wall of the police compound in Kohat during Friday prayers at the on-site mosque, after which accompanying gunmen opened fire and engaged security forces in a shootout. The blast and ensuing clash killed at least 17 people, including police officers and a child, while wounding 73 others, according to the BBC. No group had immediately claimed responsibility for the assault, though the Pakistani Taliban denied any involvement in the incident.
The attack comes amid a broader surge in militancy across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since the Taliban’s return to power in neighboring Afghanistan in 2021, with Pakistani officials frequently linking such violence to cross-border sanctuaries. Earlier this year a suicide bombing at a Shiite mosque on the outskirts of Islamabad killed 31 people and wounded more than 160, an assault for which Islamic State claimed responsibility and which also drew Saudi condemnation. Security forces arrested four suspects, including an alleged mastermind, in the days following the Islamabad attack, the interior minister announced at the time.
Local media footage reviewed by the BBC showed rubble at the site and residents attending to casualties in the immediate aftermath of Thursday’s explosion in Kohat, which occurred near police headquarters around 13:15 local time. President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif both condemned the blast and directed authorities to provide the best possible medical care to those injured. Senate Chairman Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani described the targeting of worshippers as an act of extreme brutality that violated Islamic teachings and humanity.
Pakistan’s security forces have conducted multiple operations against militant networks in the northwest in recent months, yet attacks on soft targets including mosques and police facilities persist. The interior ministry has maintained that such incidents reflect attempts by terrorist groups to destabilize the country rather than any resurgence of widespread support for their ideology. Officials continue to investigate the Kohat assault while urging vigilance across the province.
