Ten police personnel, including a deputy superintendent of police (DSP) and a sub-inspector, were killed and 18 terrorists were killed after the latter attacked a police team during an operation against illegal gold mining in the Gambat area of Kohat in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) on Wednesday. A statement from the K-P Police said that the police party was returning after completing the operation when it came under attack by members of the proscribed Fitna al-Khawarij, allegedly acting at the behest of criminal elements. It added that the police personnel fought back, killing 18 terrorists, while 10 police personnel were martyred during the exchange of fire. The statement added that the "nexus between criminal elements and Fitna al-Khawarij, which operate at the behest of foreign forces, demonstrated organised links between criminal mafias and the militant group". The police further said the incident demonstrated that the Fitna al-Khawarij had no connection with Islam or Pakistan and was working alongside criminal mafias to pursue its nefarious objectives. The K-P Police vowed that all possible action would be taken against criminal elements operating with foreign backing and Fitna al-Khawarij, adding that their facilitators and criminal networks would not be spared and illegal activities would not be tolerated. It added that the police personnel martyred in the attack belonged to Kohat district and their sacrifices would always be remembered. An earlier statement from Rescue 1122 had put the toll at 11 and the count of injured at 12. Kohat police spokesperson Muhammad Nauman Zeb said the team was heading to conduct a raid against illegal mining when it came under fire in the Darbokach Jalandhar Banda area, located between Kohat and Karak. Initial reports suggested that the attackers opened fire on police personnel from hilltops, resulting in casualties and damage to police vehicles. Zeb identified Gambat Deputy Superintendent of Police Haider Zaman and Sub-Inspector Mukhtiar among those killed in the attack. Five police mobile vehicles were also set on fire during the assault. The police spokesperson said the attackers continued firing at police personnel, resulting in a heavy exchange of fire. Additional police vehicles were dispatched to the scene, while a heavy police contingent was called in to respond to the attack. Read: Afghan national arrested in Tirah Valley for plotting terrorist attacks in Pakistan: K-P police Security was placed on high alert in the area as further reinforcements were sent to the scene. Following the attack, an emergency was declared at the District Headquarters Teaching Hospital, he added. K-P Governor Faisal Karim Kundi strongly condemned the attack, expressing grief over the martyrdom of police personnel. The governor described the attack as a highly condemnable and cowardly act and paid tribute to the martyred policemen, extending his condolences and sympathies to their bereaved families. Kundi also sought a detailed report on the incident from police authorities and directed that those involved in the attack be brought to justice. He stated that 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". Expressing solidarity with the families of the martyrs, Kundi said the entire nation shared their grief during this difficult time. Strongly condemn the cowardly attack on a police vehicle in Kohat during an operation against illegal mining and the nexus between criminal elements and terrorists. I am deeply saddened by the martyrdom of our brave police personnel and pay tribute to their ultimate sacrifice. My… — Faisal Karim Kundi (@fkkundi) November 11, 2026 K-P Adviser on Information and Public Relations, Relief, Rehabilitation and Settlement, Samar Haroon Bilour also strongly condemned the terrorist attack. In a post on X, Samar described the attack on police personnel as highly regrettable and condemnable, saying that the nexus between Fitna al-Khawarij and criminal elements posed a serious threat to law and order. She underlined that the sacrifices rendered by K-P police in the fight against terrorism were "unforgettable", adding that the personnel who embraced martyrdom had laid down their lives to protect the lives and property of the public. کوہاٹ کے علاقے دربوکچ، تھانہ گمبٹ کی حدود میں غیر قانونی گولڈ مائننگ کے خلاف کارروائی کے دوران فتنہ الخوارج کا پولیس اہلکاروں پر حملہ قابلِ مذمت ہے۔ فتنہ الخوارج اور جرائم پیشہ عناصر کا گٹھ جوڑ امن و امان کے لیے سنگین خطرہ ہے۔ شہداء کو خراجِ عقیدت اور اہلِ خانہ سے دلی تعزیت کرتی… — Samar Haroon Bilour (@SamarHBilour) November 11, 2026 Samar expressed condolences and sympathy to the families of the martyred personnel, stressing that the injured policemen should be provided with the best possible medical facilities. Commending the joint operations carried out by police and security forces against Fitna al-Khawarij, she praised the timely response by fresh contingents of police and security forces. Samar said the entire nation stood with its brave police and security forces in the fight against Fitna al-Khawarij, adding that national unity, solidarity and resolve must be maintained to completely eradicate terrorism. Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Amir Muqam also condemned the firing. He described the attack as a cowardly and highly condemnable act, saying that the sacrifices made by police and law enforcement agencies in the fight against terrorism were a source of pride for the entire nation. Muqam said he shared the grief of the bereaved families during this difficult time. K-P has witnessed a series of attacks targeting police personnel in recent months. On October 8, Station House Officer Daud Khan and his gunman, Farhad, were martyred when armed men opened fire on a police patrol near the Karak-Kohat boundary. On September 28, three traffic police personnel were killed when unidentified gunmen attacked their vehicle in Tank district. On September 25, Counter-Terrorism Department Constable Muhammad Afaq was martyred, 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. Terrorism is a growing problem for Pakistan, with the number of attacks rising every year since 2022, according to Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED), a global monitoring organisation. Data from ACLED shows attacks in Pakistan rose nearly fourfold to 2,425 in 2025 from 658 in 2022. The scale of the threat continued to grow in 2026. Two security reports presented to the federal cabinet in October showed that terrorist 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, while the use of drones and improvised explosive devices had emerged as growing threats.