Two explosions rocked the Doaba police station in Khyber Pakthunkhwa’s Hangu on Friday, resulting in the tragic deaths of at least four individuals, including a police officer, and leaving 12 others injured, as confirmed by local law enforcement.
Nisar Ahmed, the District Police Officer (DPO) for Hangu, verified the casualties and injuries to Dawn.com.
The initial blast occurred at the entrance of the police station, drawing a crowd of onlookers to the scene. “Shortly afterward, a second explosion erupted within a mosque situated on the police station’s premises,” DPO Ahmed disclosed.
DPO Ahmed added that the second blast coincided with the Friday sermon, causing the mosque’s roof to collapse and trapping nearly 30 to 40 people beneath the debris.
To aid in the recovery efforts, heavy machinery was dispatched to retrieve both the deceased and the injured.
Dawn.com’s correspondent, present at the site, reported that Rescue 1122 teams and local residents were taking the lead in the ongoing rescue operation.
No group or individual has claimed responsibility for the attack at this time.
An eyewitness named Shahid Khan Zaman recounted that at the time of the explosion, approximately 60 to 70 individuals were present inside the mosque.
According to Zaman, a suspected suicide bomber attempted to gain entry through the mosque’s gate but encountered resistance from the police, which allowed most of the people to evacuate the premises. Regrettably, a second suicide bomber detonated himself inside the mosque.
In response to the incident, KP caretaker Chief Minister Azam Khan has requested a comprehensive report from the police and urged authorities to accelerate the rescue operation.
Furthermore, he has directed the relevant commissioner and deputy commissioner to oversee the rescue efforts and ensure that the injured receive the best possible medical care. The Chief Minister has also declared a state of emergency in hospitals across Hangu.
