KOHAT: An explosion on Hangu road near Police Lines area in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Kohat district on Sunday killed at least 12 people and injured several others, DawnNews reported.

According to latest reports from rescue sources, two more victims of today's blast died, while under treatment at the Lady Reading Hospital, bringing the total death toll of the incident to 12.

Earlier, district police chief Salim Khan Marwat talking to AFP said “After getting the latest reports from the hospitals where the dead bodies and injured were taken, we can now confirm that 10 people have been killed and 14 others are injured.”

Security and rescue teams rushed to the site of explosion which was heard across a long distance.

Inspector General of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police, Nasir Khan Durrani, said the blast took place near a passenger vehicle at Peshawar chowk on Hangu road.

Rejecting the notion that the blast was carried out by a suicide bomber, he said that it appeared to have been carried out using a planted device.

Durrani further said that according to initial reports, five kilograms of explosives were used in the blast which were planted in a wooden crate placed on the roadside.

The explosives were detonated as a passenger wagon reached Peshawar chowk, injuring the occupants of the vehicle and the driver of a rickshaw parked nearby.

The victims were shifted to Liaquat Memorial Hospital whereas security personnel cordoned off the area. The Bomb Disposal Squad had also reached the blast site.

Further details of the attack and nature of the blast were not known till the filing of this report.

— Zahir Shah Shirazi contributed to the reporting of this story

Opinion

Editorial

Quid pro quo
Updated 26 Jul, 2026

Quid pro quo

Accepting Israel would mean legitimising its violence against the Palestinians, as well as its neighbouring Arab states and Iran.
AI in government
26 Jul, 2026

AI in government

THE Prime Minister’s Office has announced the introduction of an AI-powered digital system and directed ministries...
Cautious optimism
26 Jul, 2026

Cautious optimism

THE latest polio surveillance figures offer some encouraging news regarding the difficult fight against polio. The...
Rampant lawlessness
Updated 25 Jul, 2026

Rampant lawlessness

THE brutal slaying of a judge and his guard in Mastung is the latest in a series of blood-drenched events that have...
Daily fuel pricing
25 Jul, 2026

Daily fuel pricing

THE government’s move to daily petroleum price adjustments should make fuel pricing more transparent and more...
The drug problem
25 Jul, 2026

The drug problem

WHILE Islamabad Police chase low-level peddlers, the capital’s kingpins have quietly taken their operations ...