Shafaq News- Islamabad

At least 17 people, including six police officers, were killed and 40 others wounded in a suicide bombing during Friday prayers at a mosque inside police headquarters in Kohat, northwestern Pakistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police chief Zulfiqar Hameed said.

Earlier, the Pakistani military confirmed the deaths of six soldiers after an improvised explosive device struck their convoy elsewhere in the province.

Security forces also carried out intelligence-based raids in North Waziristan and Hangu, killing six militants in clashes in the former and four in the latter between Tuesday and Thursday, according to the military’s media wing.

🚨#ISPR 10 Terrorists EliminatedFrom 15-17 September 2026, ten khwarij belonging to Indian-sponsored Fitna-Al-Khwarij were killed in multiple engagements in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. While six brave sons of the soil paid the ultimate sacrifice and embraced… pic.twitter.com/Eax1j7N8Ry

— Pakistan Armed Forces News 🇵🇰 (@PakistanFauj) September 17, 2026

Search operations for other militants remain underway, while weapons and ammunition were recovered during the raids.

Militant violence in Pakistan is concentrated largely in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, both bordering Afghanistan. Islamabad accuses the Pakistani Taliban of operating from Afghan territory and organizing cross-border attacks, a charge rejected by the Afghan government.

Balochistan also faces violence by the Baloch Liberation Army, a separatist group seeking independence for the province.