At least 31 people were killed and nearly 100 injured in a suicide bombing at a mosque in Kohat city, Pakistan, during Friday prayers. The attack occurred on a Friday afternoon when a car packed with explosives crashed into the mosque’s entrance, which was filled with worshippers, including police officers and their families. The mosque was located at a police headquarters, and the blast caused significant damage, with the front section destroyed and debris scattered across the site. A gunfight soon erupted between attackers and security forces as armed men tried to enter the compound. At least seven attackers were involved, with six reportedly killed during the exchange of fire. The attack was claimed by two groups: the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and Ittehadul Mujahideen, a faction linked to a prominent Taliban commander. The violence occurred in Kohat, a city near the Afghan border and a key transit point to other regions that have experienced similar attacks. The incident followed a recent roadside bombing in Hangu district that killed six security personnel. Earlier in the week, security forces had conducted raids and killed 10 suspected TTP militants. The Pakistani Taliban, which has increasingly targeted police and civilians in recent years, is separate from but allied with Afghanistan’s Taliban, which took control of Afghanistan in 2021. Pakistan has accused Afghanistan of harboring TTP members and allowing cross-border attacks, a claim Kabul has denied. Tensions between the two countries have remained high since Pakistan carried out military strikes in Afghanistan in 2025, which led to border clashes and international mediation efforts by Qatar, Turkey, and China, though no lasting agreement was reached. This attack follows a similar incident in 2023 when a suicide bomber killed 101 people at a mosque in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The recent violence underscores the ongoing threat posed by militant groups in the region and the challenges faced by security forces in maintaining stability.