PESHAWAR: A suspected drone strike caused minor damage to a mosque in Hassankhel subdivision on the outskirts of the provincial capital the other day. No casualties were, however, reported, sources said.

They said the strike took place in Chandoka area located in Hassankhel subdivision, on the border between Peshawar and Kohat.

The attack was the second of its kind in the subdivision. The first took place on Oct 6, 2022, in Kandao area — some five miles west of Chandoka that had targeted a suspected terrorist hideout, killing brother of the then militant commander Abdul Rahim.

The 2022 drone attack was carried out days after a military convoy had come under attack in the area. Rahim was later gunned down in an intelligence based operation in the area on July 10, 2024.

Locals said they heard a huge explosion on Wednesday morning, adding that people rushed to the area. They confirmed that the suspected drone strike had taken place in Chandoka area, they however said that there were no casualties. Nobody has claimed responsibility for the attack till filing of this report while local police, who confirmed the attack, refused to comment.

On April 19, security forces, including police, army, Frontier Corps, and the Counter-Terrorism Department, conducted a successful intelligence-based joint operation against terrorists in the area, officials said.

According to senior officials, the operation was launched following intelligence reports about the presence of militants in the area after several recent attacks on law enforcement personnel.

Published in Dawn, April 24th, 2026