Kohat Police Attack: President, PM Condole 10 Martyrs
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have condoled the martyrdom of 10 police personnel in the Kohat police attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and vowed to continue the fight against terrorism.
Eighteen terrorists were killed and 10 policemen martyred on Wednesday, when the team came under attack while returning from an operation against illegal gold mining. Ten policemen were killed in the Kohat ambush.
What happened in the Kohat police attack
KP Police said the team had carried out a joint operation with the civil administration in Darabukach near Kohat city, under Gumbat police station.
“When the police party was returning after completing the operation, Fitna-al-Khawarij attacked the police party at the behest of criminal elements,” the police statement said. “Police personnel fought the attackers with great bravery and courage, as a result of which 18 khawarij were sent to hell,” it added, noting that 10 personnel “embraced martyrdom while fighting bravely”.
The martyred officers included Deputy Superintendent of Police Haidar Zaman and Sub-Inspector Mukhtiar, KP Police said. Rescue 1122 shifted 12 injured policemen to hospital. The attackers also set five police vehicles on fire, the Express Tribune reported, and the TTP later claimed responsibility, according to Terror Monitor.
Fitna al-Khawarij is the state’s term for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The leaders respond
President Zardari said the KP police’s sacrifices were a source of national pride. He condoled with the families, expressed solidarity with them, and prayed for the injured to recover soon. He said cowardly attacks could not weaken the nation’s resolve to eliminate terrorism, and that the sacrifices of the fallen would always be remembered.
Prime Minister Shehbaz, in Turkiye on a three-day visit for the COP31 summit, strongly condemned the attack and called the martyred personnel national heroes. The prime minister had already paid tribute to the martyred Kohat policemen.
He said killing 18 terrorists showed the KP Police’s capability, courage and resolve. He called the “nexus between criminal elements and Fitna al-Khawarij” a nefarious attempt to spread unrest, and vowed no compromise on Pakistan’s peace and stability.
A familiar pattern in KP
The attack fits a pattern of renewed militancy in the province. The Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) recorded considerable volatility from October 30 to November 5, with renewed terrorist activity in parts of KP and the former tribal districts, alongside intensified counterterrorism operations.
The ambush came a day after the Kohat deputy commissioner imposed a 60-day ban on parking excavators in Block-C and Block-D of the placer gold area and adjacent zones, part of the crackdown on illegal mining behind the police operation.
KP has been under governor’s rule and emergency since October 11, when the federal government cited the PTI-led government’s “deliberate disengagement” from the counterterrorism fight. Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has sought a detailed report on the attack.
K-P has unveiled a Rs70bn counterterrorism plan for the police, and a civil-military huddle agreed to scale up intelligence-based operations. Police also killed a wanted TTP commander in Khyber this week, while policemen were martyred in a firing on a police van in Swabi.
Why it matters
The condolences underline how heavily the state leans on the KP police in the counterterrorism fight, and how exposed the force remains where militancy and organised crime overlap. The governor’s report will establish how the ambush was planned and whether the mining crackdown needs a different security plan. The full account is in Dawn’s report and the Tribune’s coverage.
Frequently asked questions
How many policemen were martyred in the Kohat attack?
Ten, including Deputy Superintendent of Police Haidar Zaman and Sub-Inspector Mukhtiar. Eighteen terrorists were killed, and 12 injured policemen were taken to hospital.
Where and when did the attack happen?
On Wednesday, November 11, in Darabukach near Kohat city, under Gumbat police station. The team was returning from a joint operation against illegal gold mining when it was ambushed.
Who attacked the police team?
Fitna al-Khawarij, the state’s term for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. Police said the attackers acted at the behest of criminal elements in illegal gold mining, and the TTP later claimed responsibility, according to Terror Monitor.
What did the president and prime minister say?
President Zardari called the KP police’s sacrifices a source of national pride and condoled with the families. Prime Minister Shehbaz, in Turkiye for COP31, called the martyrs national heroes and vowed no compromise on peace and stability.
Why is KP under governor’s rule?
KP has been under governor’s rule and emergency since October 11, when the federal government cited the PTI-led government’s “deliberate disengagement” from the counterterrorism fight. The PICSS recorded considerable volatility from October 30 to November 5.
