At least 11 police officers killed in Kohat attack during illegal mining crackdown

At least 11 police officers were reported killed and 12 others injured on Wednesday after armed men opened fire on a team conducting an operation against illegal gold mining in Kohat district, in Pakistan’s northwest, police and rescue officials said.

What happened in the Kohat attack?

Police and Mines Department personnel were carrying out the operation within the jurisdiction of Gumbat police station when armed men allegedly supporting illegal mining fired on them, Kohat police spokesperson Farhan Khan told Nukta.

Rescue 1122 spokesperson Jawad Afridi said the casualty figures had yet to be formally confirmed.

TTP has claimed the responsibility for the attack.

How many police officers were killed and injured?

Afridi said 12 injured personnel had been transported to a hospital in Kohat. Rescue officials had also received reports of 11 fatalities, including Deputy Superintendent of Police Haider Zaman and Sub-Inspector Mukhtiar, he added.

Rescue teams were facing difficulties reaching the site because of its remote location and mountainous terrain, Afridi said. Authorities declared an emergency at local hospitals following the attack, and District Health Officer Nasir Hussain directed medical staff to remain on duty to deal with the casualties.

How are authorities responding to the attack?

Kohat District Police Officer Rai Mazhar said additional police contingents and security forces had been dispatched to the area, where an exchange of fire was continuing. He vowed that the operation would continue until all militants in the area were eliminated.

Rescue 1122 said the operation was still underway and a final report would be prepared once it had concluded. The attack came amid an intensified crackdown on illegal mining in the district.

Sarfaraz Ali Shah, the governor’s adviser on mines and minerals, told Nukta that a large-scale operation had begun in Kohat a day earlier, with authorities having cleared around 94 kilometers of territory so far.

Authorities were also registering cases against those involved in illegal mining and disconnecting supply lines linked to the activity, Shah said.

How did the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor react to the Kohat attack?

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi condemned the attack, describing it as a nexus between criminal elements and terrorists. He expressed grief over the deaths of police personnel, paid tribute to the fallen officers and extended condolences to their families.

Kundi also sought a detailed report from police authorities and called for those involved in the attack to be brought to justice.