At least 11 police personnel, including a deputy superintendent of police (DSP) and a sub-inspector, were martyred and 12 others injured when terrorists ambushed a police party conducting an operation against an illegal gold mining network in Kohat on Wednesday. According to a statement issued by the office of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Peshawar, the Kohat police had launched a major operation against an illegal gold mining network allegedly operating through a nexus between terrorists and criminal elements. During the operation, militants belonging to Fitna al-Khawarij – a term used for the terrorists belonging to the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) – launched a surprise attack on the police contingent in the Dar Bokach area, falling within the jurisdiction of Gumbat Police Station in Kohat. Those martyred included DSP Gumbat Haider Zaman and Sub-Inspector Mukhtar Ahmed. The injured personnel were shifted to the Divisional Headquarters Teaching Hospital, Kohat, where an emergency was declared to provide immediate medical assistance. Rescue 1122 Kohat spokesperson Jawad Afridi said the incident occurred in the remote Dar Bokach area of Gumbat tehsil, where police were conducting an operation against illegal gold mining. Rescue teams were dispatched to transport the bodies and injured to hospital. Following the attack, heavy contingents of police and security forces reached the area to reinforce local personnel. Firing by the attackers was reportedly continuing, with reports of injuries among both police personnel and the assailants. The Kohat District Police Officer (DPO) said that a pursuit operation against the attackers was under way, adding that the operation would continue until the last Kharji was eliminated. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi strongly condemned the attack and the alleged nexus between terrorists and criminal elements involved in illegal gold mining and directed police authorities to submit a detailed report on the incident. Paying tribute to the martyred personnel, the governor extended condolences and sympathies to their bereaved families. He prayed for the eternal peace of the martyrs and patience for their bereaved families assured them that the entire nation stood with them in their grief. Terming the attack a cowardly act of terrorism, Kundi stressed that all those involved in targeting the police party must be brought to justice without delay. He said the sacrifices of police personnel in the fight against terrorism and criminal elements were a source of pride for the nation. (WITH INPUTS FROM APP)