Spokesperson says sub-inspector also among
those killed as attackers set fire to five police vehicles; 12 injured
PESHAWAR/ DI KHAN
At least 11 police personnel, including a deputy superintendent of police (DSP) and a sub-inspector, were killed and 12 were injured when terrorists attacked a police team during an operation against illegal gold mining in the Gambat area of Kohat in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) on Wednesday, according to officials.
A statement from Rescue 1122 said the number of personnel martyred had reached 11, while 12 were injured. Kohat police spokesperson Muhammad Nauman Zeb said the team was heading to conduct a raid against illegal mining when it came under fire in the Darbokach Jalandhar Banda area, located between Kohat and Karak.
Initial reports suggested that the attackers opened fire on police personnel from hilltops, resulting in casualties and damage to police vehicles.
Zeb identified Gambat Deputy Superintendent of Police Haider Zaman and Sub-Inspector Mukhtiar among those killed in the attack. Five police mobile vehicles were also set on fire during the assault.
The police spokesperson said the attackers continued firing at police personnel, resulting in a heavy exchange of fire. Additional police vehicles were dispatched to the scene, while a heavy police contingent was called in to respond to the attack.
Security was placed on high alert in the area as further reinforcements were sent to the scene. Following the attack, an emergency was declared at the District Headquarters Teaching Hospital, he added.
K-P Governor Faisal Karim Kundi strongly condemned the attack, expressing grief over the martyrdom of police personnel.
The governor described the attack as a highly condemnable and cowardly act and paid tribute to the martyred policemen, extending his condolences and sympathies to their bereaved families.
Kundi also sought a detailed report on the incident from police authorities and directed that those involved in the attack be brought to justice.
He stated that the sacrifices made by police personnel in the fight against terrorism and criminal elements were a “source of pride for the entire nation and would never go in vain”.
Expressing solidarity with the families of the martyrs, Kundi said the entire nation shared their grief during this difficult time.
K-P Adviser on Information and Public Relations, Relief, Rehabilitation and Settlement, Samar Haroon Bilour also strongly condemned the terrorist attack.
In a post on X, Samar described the attack on police personnel as highly regrettable and condemnable, saying that the nexus between Fitna al-Khawarij and criminal elements posed a serious threat to law and order.
She underlined that the sacrifices rendered by K-P police in the fight against terrorism were “unforgettable”, adding that the personnel who embraced martyrdom had laid down their lives to protect the lives and property of the public.
