Gunmen ambush Pakistan police team en route to raid illegal gold mines, 11 killed

The police personnel were travelling through the Gambat area of Kohat to conduct a raid against illegal gold mining when they came under attack in the Darbokach Jalandhar Banda area, between Kohat and Karak.Kohat police spokesperson Muhammad Nauman Zeb said the attackers continued firing at the personnel. New Delhi,Nov 11, 2026 21:28 ISTAt least 11 police personnel, including a deputy superintendent of police (DSP) and a sub-inspector, were killed, and 12 others injured after gunmen ambushed a police team in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Wednesday. According to Pakistani media reports, the police personnel were travelling through the Gambat area of Kohat to conduct a raid against illegal gold mining when they came under attack in the Darbokach Jalandhar Banda area, between Kohat and Karak.The attackers opened fire from the surrounding hilltops, catching the police team during its journey to the mining site. Several police vehicles were damaged, while five police mobile vehicles were set on fire during the assault.Kohat police spokesperson Muhammad Nauman Zeb said the attackers continued firing at the personnel, which triggered a heavy exchange of fire. Reinforcements were rushed to the area as police and security forces attempted to contain the attackers.Rescue 1122 confirmed that the death toll had risen to 11, with another 12 police personnel injured. Zeb identified Gambat DSP Haider Zaman and Sub-Inspector Mukhtiar among those killed in the attack, reported The Express Tribune. The scale of the assault prompted police authorities to send additional vehicles and a heavy contingent to the scene. Security was also placed on high alert in the surrounding area as reinforcements moved in. An emergency was declared at the District Headquarters Teaching Hospital to treat the injured personnel.GOVERNOR DEMANDS ACTION AGAINST ATTACKERSKhyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi strongly condemned the attack and expressed grief over the deaths of the police personnel. Kundi described the assault as a highly condemnable and cowardly act and paid tribute to the policemen killed in the attack. He also extended condolences to their families and sought a detailed report from police authorities. The governor directed authorities to ensure that those responsible were brought to justice. He said 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".REPEATED ATTACKS ON KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA POLICEThe Kohat ambush is the latest in a series of attacks targeting police and security personnel in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in recent months. On October 8, Station House Officer Daud Khan and his gunman, Farhad, were killed when armed men opened fire on a police patrol near the Karak-Kohat boundary.Earlier, on September 28, three traffic police personnel were killed after unidentified gunmen attacked their vehicle in Tank district. On September 25, Counter-Terrorism Department Constable Muhammad Afaq was killed and three other personnel were injured during an intelligence-based operation against suspected suicide attackers in Peshawar's Garhi Sherdad area.One of the deadliest recent attacks took place on September 18, when a blast followed by an assault at Kohat Police Lines killed 15 police personnel among 23 people. Eight attackers were killed during the subsequent clearance operation.The latest attack comes amid a broader deterioration in Pakistan's security situation, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.According to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED), the number of attacks in Pakistan has increased every year since 2022. ACLED data showed that attacks rose nearly fourfold, from 658 in 2022 to 2,425 in 2025.The threat has continued into 2026. Two security reports presented to Pakistan's federal cabinet in October found that incidents in K-P had increased by 195 per cent between March 2024 and September 2026. The reports also found that 73 per cent of attacks recorded in the province during 2026 had targeted police and security personnel.- Ends