PESHAWAR: At least 18 terrorists were killed and 10 policemen martyred on Wednesday, when a police team came under attack while returning from an operation against illegal gold mining in Kohat, police said.
In a statement, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police said they had conducted a joint operation with the local civil administration in the Darbukach area, within the jurisdiction of Gumbat police station.
‘When the police party was returning after completing the operation, Fitna alKhawarij attacked the police party at the behest of criminal elements,’ the statement said.
Police said their personnel fought back, killing 18 attackers, while 10 policemen lost their lives in the exchange of fire.
Fitna al-Khawarij is a term used by the state for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Earlier, Rescue 1122 spokesperson Jawad Afridi said 12 police personnel had been shifted to hospital following the attack. ‘There was an incident where a police party came under fire, and so far, we have shifted 12 police personnel to the hospital,’ he said in a video statement.
He said that according to the injured policemen, there were several bodies at the scene, but added that the exact death toll had yet to be established at the time.
According to police, the operation targeted illegal gold mining activities allegedly supported by a nexus between terrorists and criminal elements. Additional personnel were dispatched to the area following the attack.
The incident came a day after the Kohat deputy commissioner imposed a 60-day ban on parking excavators withinblocks C and D of placer gold mining areas and adjoining locations.
According to the order, some individuals and groups had parked excavators at residences near mining sites, which could easily be used for unauthorised gold extraction.
The district administration said that several operations to clear illegal mining sites had failed to prevent the activity, as excavators keptin residentialareas continued to facilitate unauthorised mining, posing a grave risk to public order and state interest.
In a separate order, the administration also banned the sale, purchase and supply of petroleum products in open containers or bottles for use in illegal gold mining in the district.
Governor seeks report KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi condemned the attack and sought a detailed report, according to a statement issued by his office.
Expressing grief over the martyrdom of police personnel, the governor vowed that those responsible would be brought to justice.
‘This cowardly act by terrorists is highly condemnable,’ he said. ‘The supreme sacrifices made by the police personnel will not go in vain,’ he added, stressing that their sacrifices were a source of pride for the nation.
‘In this difficult and sorrowful time, I fully share the grief of the families of the martyrs,’ he said.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry also expressed grief over the loss of lives in the attack.
‘The sacrifices of the police against terrorism and criminal elements are a source of pride for the entire nation,’ he said in a post on X, calling for those responsible to be brought to justice.