What do we know about the "Union of Mujahideen Pakistan" after the killing of 21 in an attack on a mosque?

At least 21 people were killed in an attack by armed militants on a police compound in northwest Pakistan on Friday. A senior police official in the city stated that militants detonated a vehicle bomb near a mosque inside the compound in the city of "Kohat," and gunmen opened fire in the area. The official added that the attackers included a suicide bomber who blew himself up inside the "Special Branch" office in the security compound.

The health commissioner in "Kohat" district reported that 103 people were injured, noting that at least 16 police officers were among the dead, and 73 of those injured were police personnel. A police official told the Afaq News Network that as of Saturday morning local time, the militants were still holed up in the "Special Branch" section of the compound, exchanging gunfire with security forces, adding that "the exact number of attackers remains unclear."

The "United Mujahideen of Pakistan" alliance, which includes armed groups, claimed responsibility for the attack, describing it as a suicide operation targeting police and anti-terrorism forces. This armed alliance consists of the "Hafiz Gul Bahadur" group, the "Lashkar-e-Islam Pakistan" group, and the "Islamic Revolution of Pakistan" group. In contrast, the Pakistani Taliban, known as "Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan," distanced itself from the attack, stating that it only targets security forces and their personnel.

It is noteworthy that the "Pakistani Taliban" is behind many attacks in northwest Pakistan, and it is a separate movement from the Taliban rulers in Afghanistan, although it is allied with them. Pakistan has long accused the Afghan Taliban government of harboring militants from the movement, accusations that Kabul denies.

Pakistan has witnessed a rise in armed attacks in recent years, particularly targeting police and security forces. In late July, Pakistani army spokesman Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry stated that the country had recorded over 3,000 "terrorist incidents" since the beginning of the year, resulting in the deaths of 819 Pakistanis, including soldiers, police officers, and civilians.