PESHAWAR: At least 12 cops were injured on Wednesday as a police party came under attack in Kohat’s Gumbat tehsil, according to officials.
Rescue 1122 spokesperson Jawad Afridi, in a video message, said, “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 that according to the injured police officials, there were several bodies at the scene. He added that details regarding the exact number of deaths would be shared when more information became available.
A statement issued by KP police said that a major operation had been launched against illegal gold mining, which was being fuelled by a nexus between terrorists and criminal elements.
It said that terrorists attack a police contingent in the Darbukach area, within the jurisdiction of the Gumbat police station, adding that Fitna al Khawarij were behind the attack.
Fitna al Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.
Police said that additional personnel had been dispatched to the area and an exchange of fire was underway.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi condemned the incident and sought a detailed report, as per an official statement issued by his office. It said that the incident occurred during an operation against illegal mining.
Although there has been no official death toll given so far, the statement said that Kundi “expressed sorrow at the martyrdom of police personnel”.
“This cowardly act by terrorists is highly condemnable,” Kundi was quoted as saying, vowing that the attackers would be brought to justice.
“The supreme sacrifices made by the police personnel will not go in vain,” the governor asserted, stressing that the martyrs’ 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. He also reiterated the same in a post on X.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry also expressed grief and sorrow at the “loss of human lives” due to “firing by terrorists” on the police team.
“The sacrifices of the police against terrorism and criminal elements are a source of pride for the entire nation,” he said on X.
“The government and relevant institutions should bring the elements involved in this cowardly act before the law as soon as possible so that they may be brought to justice,” he said.
Last week, two policemen were martyred, and another was injured when unidentified gunmen opened fire on them in KP’s Mohmand district.
Last month, a police officer was martyred after terrorists attacked a police post in KP’s Bajaur. On October 20, an additional station house officer (SHO) of the Miranshah police station was martyred in firing by unidentified individuals near Miranshah Bypass Road in North Waziristan.
On Oct 7, seven policemen were injured when terrorists attacked a police checkpost in Kohat.
According to Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, the country’s security environment continued to show considerable volatility from Oct 30 to Nov 5, with renewed terrorist activity in parts of KP and the former tribal districts, alongside intensified counterterrorism operations and changing patterns of militant violence.
It is worth mentioning that KP has been under governor’s rule and emergency since Oct 11, when the federal government took the measures citing the PTI-led KP government’s “deliberate disengagement” from the counterterrorism fight.
This is a developing story that is being updated as the situation evolves. Initial reports in the media can sometimes be inaccurate. We will strive to ensure timeliness and accuracy by relying on credible sources, such as concerned, qualified authorities and our staff reporters.
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