New Delhi: At least 10 police personnel, including a deputy superintendent, were killed when militants ambushed a contingent returning from an operation against illegal gold mining in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Wednesday. The attack in Kohat district triggered an hours-long gunfight, after which the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility.
The contingent had been working with the local administration in Darbukach, within Gumbat police station limits, when it came under fire on its return journey. Attackers reportedly fired from surrounding hills, and police reinforcements were sent as the confrontation continued, the Express Tribune reported.
The deputy superintendent of police, Haider Zaman and Sub-Inspector Mukhtiar were among those killed in the attack. Kohat police spokesman, Muhammad Nauman Zeb confirmed their identities and ranks.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police maintained a toll of 10 dead, also cited in the prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif’s response. However, Rescue 1122 initially reported 11 deaths, while the Express Tribune’s Thursday report retained that higher figure.
Injuries were also reported differently. Rescue 1122 spokesman Jawad Afridi initially said 12 police personnel had been taken to hospital, while another rescue official, Noorul Amin, later reported 10 injured and 10 bodies transported to Kohat’s district headquarters hospital; no consolidated medical bulletin was available.
Kohat police spokesman, Muhammad Nauman Zeb, said five police vehicles had been set on fire. An emergency was declared at the hospital, and additional security personnel were sent to the area, with police subsequently reporting a pursuit operation rather than a confirmed continuing gunfight.
TTP claims responsibility
The TTP claimed the ambush in a statement hours later, Associated Press reported. Provincial police said 18 militants had been killed in the exchange of fire, a figure that has not been independently established.
Police alleged that criminal groups involved in unauthorized gold extraction had coordinated with TTP militants and claimed foreign backing. They provided no publicly verifiable evidence for those allegations, while “Fitna al-Khawarij”, a label used by Pakistani authorities, refers to the banned TTP.
The operation followed restrictions on illegal placer gold mining in the district. A day before the ambush, the Kohat administration imposed a 60-day ban on parking excavators in designated mining areas and restricted fuel sales in open containers to curb unauthorized extraction, Dawn reported.
Official response and security concerns
The Pakistani prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, condemned the attack on Thursday, paid tribute to the 10 police personnel killed and reaffirmed his government’s commitment to combating militancy. Provincial governor, Faisal Karim Kundi, requested a detailed report, while the interior minister, Mohsin Naqvi, also condemned the killings.
The ambush follows repeated attacks on police in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including an October assault on a Kohat checkpoint that injured seven personnel. The TTP is distinct from but allied with Afghanistan’s Taliban, whose authorities deny Pakistan’s accusations that they shelter militants.
The attackers’ alleged links to illegal mining remain unproven beyond police assertions. The conflicting injury figures and Mukhtiar’s rank also await authoritative reconciliation.