PESHAWAR: At least 10 police personnel, including two senior officers, were killed on Wednesday when militants ambushed a police team in Kohat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, triggering an intense exchange of fire. The attack took place as officers were returning from an operation targeting illegal gold mining in the area.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police said 18 militants were also killed during the encounter. Twelve police personnel were initially reported injured, while emergency services and additional security contingents were dispatched to the scene. The Pakistani Taliban later claimed responsibility for the attack.
According to police officials, the incident occurred in the Darbukach area, within the jurisdiction of Gumbat police station. The police party had been conducting an operation against illegal mining activities in coordination with the local civil administration. It came under attack while returning after completing the operation.
Kohat police spokesperson Muhammad Nauman Zeb said the attackers opened fire on the police team in the Darbukach Jalandhar Banda area, between Kohat and Karak. Initial reports indicated that the assailants fired from nearby hilltops, targeting police vehicles and personnel.
The assault resulted in a prolonged exchange of gunfire. Five police vehicles were reportedly set on fire during the attack, while additional police contingents were sent to reinforce the personnel at the scene. Security was subsequently tightened across the affected area.
The police identified Deputy Superintendent of Police Haider Zaman and Sub-Inspector Mukhtiar among those killed. Both officers were serving in the Kohat district.
Conflicting early casualty reports
Initial accounts of the casualties varied as emergency services and police authorities gathered information from the scene. Rescue 1122 spokesperson Jawad Afridi said that 12 injured police personnel had been transported to hospital. He added that the injured officers had reported several bodies at the location, although the precise number of fatalities had not initially been confirmed.
An earlier statement from Rescue 1122 indicated that the death toll could have reached 11. The police subsequently reported that 10 personnel had been killed. The discrepancy reflected the uncertainty surrounding casualty figures during the initial response.
The police also claimed that 18 militants had been killed in the exchange of fire. That figure was included in the provincial police statement and was not independently verified in the initial reporting.
TTP claims responsibility
The Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement issued hours after the incident, according to the Associated Press.
The group has intensified its attacks on police and security personnel in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in recent months. Its operations have increasingly placed pressure on law enforcement agencies, particularly in districts bordering Afghanistan and in areas where militants retain the capacity to target police installations, patrols and security operations.
The TTP is a separate organisation from the Afghan Taliban but maintains close ties with the group, which returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021. Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Afghan Taliban authorities of allowing TTP militants to operate from Afghan territory. Kabul has rejected the allegations.
The Kohat attack adds to a series of violent incidents targeting police personnel in the province. Last week, two policemen were killed and another injured when unidentified gunmen opened fire on them in Mohmand district. In October, a police officer was killed in an attack on a police post in Bajaur, while an additional station house officer was shot dead near Miranshah in North Waziristan.
These incidents underline the continuing vulnerability of police personnel who are often required to operate in areas where armed groups can exploit difficult terrain and limited security infrastructure.
Illegal mining and the security challenge
The circumstances surrounding Wednesday’s attack also bring attention to the connection between illegal economic activities and security challenges in the region.
The police said the operation had targeted illegal gold mining, which they described as being supported by a nexus between criminal elements and militants. According to the provincial police, the attack was carried out against the returning police contingent at the behest of criminal interests.
The district administration had already taken measures to restrict unauthorised mining. A day before the attack, the Kohat deputy commissioner imposed a 60-day ban on parking excavators in designated gold-mining areas and nearby locations. The administration said machinery parked near mining sites could facilitate illegal extraction of placer gold.
A separate order also prohibited the sale, purchase and supply of petroleum products in open containers and bottles for use in unauthorised mining activities.
The measures indicate that illegal mining had become a significant law-and-order concern for the district administration. The police operation was therefore not simply a routine security deployment but part of a broader effort to control unlawful economic activity.
The attack raises serious questions about the security risks faced by law enforcement personnel when confronting criminal networks operating in difficult terrain. Where illegal extraction generates substantial financial interests, those involved may have incentives to resist enforcement through intimidation, armed violence or links with militant organisations. The police have alleged such a connection in this case, although the precise nature of the relationship will require investigation.
Provincial response
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi condemned the attack and sought a detailed report from the police authorities. He expressed grief over the deaths and said those responsible should be brought to justice.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry also expressed sorrow over the loss of life, praising the sacrifices made by police personnel in confronting terrorism and criminal networks.
Provincial Adviser on Information Samar Haroon Bilour described the alleged connection between militants and criminal elements as a serious threat to public order. She expressed condolences to the families of the deceased officers and stressed that injured personnel should receive appropriate medical treatment.
The police said additional personnel had been deployed to the area as security operations continued.
The attack once again demonstrates that counterterrorism cannot be separated from the wider challenge of establishing effective law enforcement and public authority. Police officers are expected to confront armed groups, disrupt criminal economies and maintain order in areas where state institutions face persistent operational difficulties.
The immediate priority remains the investigation, the identification of those involved and the protection of vulnerable communities. But the longer-term challenge is institutional: law enforcement agencies need reliable intelligence, adequate equipment, operational coordination and sustained support to prevent criminal and militant networks from exploiting local weaknesses.
The deaths of the police personnel in Kohat are a reminder of the human cost of Pakistan’s continuing security crisis. Their protection requires more than statements of condemnation after attacks. It demands a consistent strategy that strengthens policing, dismantles the financial networks sustaining violence and ensures that the authority of the state is maintained through effective and accountable institutions.
