Bombing at mosque near police offices in Pakistan kills at least 16

PESHAWAR, Pakistan — A powerful bomb exploded Friday at a mosque near a building housing police offices in northwestern Pakistan, killing at least 16 people and wounding 57, police and rescue officials said. The attack came as violence has surged in the region with security forces targeting militants. The bombing occurred in Kohat, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan, when an attacker apparently rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the mosque, said Zulfiqar Hameed, the provincial police chief. Hospital officials have confirmed that five police officers and 11 civilians were among the dead, Bilal Faizi, a senior rescue official said. Most of those wounded were worshippers, he said. Some were in critical condition. At least seven armed gunmen also attempted to enter the police compound and exchanged fire with officers. Six of the gunmen were killed, according to police. Photos from the scene showed the outer wall of the police offices had collapsed and the mosque was badly damaged. Smoke rose over the site after the blast, which witnesses and residents said