Peshawar: Investigators probing the Kohat Police Lines attack say they have made significant breakthroughs, uncovering the network responsible for planning and executing the assault, according to officials familiar with the investigation.
A joint team from the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) has reportedly traced the militant network linked to the attack, officials said, describing it as a major step forward in the case.
Two Groups Behind the Plot
According to investigating officials, the Kohat Police Lines attack was not the work of a single outfit. Two separate terrorist organizations are said to have coordinated with one another to plan the assault on the facility.
Officials familiar with the probe say the attackers’ primary objective was to breach the CTD compound and free militants being held there. The plan, they added, was built around this goal from the outset.
Militants Stayed in Kohat Before the Attack
Investigators disclosed that the assailants had spent several days in Kohat prior to carrying out the attack, apparently using the time to finalize logistics and observe the target location.
Acting on this information, law enforcement personnel raided a house where the attackers are believed to have stayed in the lead-up to the assault. The raid led to several arrests, and officials confirmed that evidence was recovered from the site to support the ongoing investigation.
Vehicle Data From Suicide Bomber Recovered
Officials also revealed that data and technical details were retrieved from the vehicle used by the suicide bomber killed during the attack. This information, they noted, is expected to help investigators reconstruct the attackers’ movements and connections in the days before the assault.
Second Attempt on Kohat Police Lines Foiled
In a notable disclosure, officials said this was not the first time militants had targeted the facility. The same terrorist elements had reportedly attempted to plan an attack on the Kohat Police Lines the previous year as well, though that earlier plot did not materialize.
Police, the CTD, and other law enforcement agencies worked jointly this time to thwart the militants’ plan before it could inflict greater damage, officials said, crediting coordinated intelligence and rapid response for limiting the impact of the attack.
The investigation remains ongoing, with authorities saying further details are expected to emerge as the network behind the Kohat Police Lines attack is fully mapped out.