The fingerprints of a suicide bomber responsible for a mosque attack in Hangu, which claimed five lives, do not match any records in the Nadra database, suggesting that he may be an unknown individual or a foreigner. Preliminary police investigations blamed the Islamic State Khorasan (IS-K) for the attack.
The attack occurred at a mosque located within a compound that also housed living quarters and police barracks. Both policemen from the Doaba police station and nearby shop owners attended the mosque.
On the day of the attack, two assailants on a motorcycle attempted to enter the compound. However, the policemen killed one of the attackers at the compound’s entrance after a confrontation. Shortly after the shooting, an explosion occurred, believed to have been caused by a grenade. In the ensuing chaos, the second attacker managed to enter the mosque and detonate a suicide bomb.
Despite obtaining fingerprint samples from the suicide bomber, the database yielded no matches, indicating that the attacker was an unknown individual. Further investigations are underway to determine the identity of the bomber.
The Counterterrorism Department in Kohat has registered a case, and an investigation is currently in progress.
Peshawar Corps Commander Hassan Azhar Hayat visited the site and commended the bravery of the police personnel who guarded the compound. KP Police Chief Akhtar Hayat Gandapur noted that the damages could have been more severe if the authorities had not neutralized the suicide bombers.
In response to the absence of CCTV footage due to power outages and the lack of a solar-powered backup, KP Chief Secretary Aslam Chaudhry instructed the district administration to provide details for the installation of a solar backup system.
