Militants ambushed a police convoy heading toward an anti-illegal gold mining operation in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Wednesday, killing at least 11 officers and wounding 12 others.
The attack decimated the mobile patrol. Attackers rained gunfire down from elevated ridge lines onto the law enforcement vehicles as the convoy crossed the Darbokach Jalandhar Banda area, a rugged passage separating Kohat and Karak districts.
Rescue 1122 emergency teams confirmed the death toll swiftly climbed to 11, with paramedics transporting 12 injured officers from the line of fire.
The targeted law enforcement unit was en route to the Gumbat Kohat area to mount an enforcement drive against illicit gold extraction sites when gunmen struck from overlooking hills. Police spokesperson Muhammad Nauman Zeb confirmed that Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Gambat Haider Zaman and Sub-Inspector Mukhtiar were among the dead.
Five police mobile vehicles were torched during the assault.
Heavy gunfire continued for hours. Attackers pinned down the convoy with sustained automatic bursts from higher elevations, prompting regional commanders to deploy additional units and an armed reinforcement contingent to push back the assailants.
| Ambush Parameter | Official Details |
|---|---|
| Location | Darbokach Jalandhar Banda (between Kohat and Karak) |
| Mission Target | Anti-illegal gold mining operation in Gumbat Kohat |
| Fatalities | 11 police personnel, including DSP and Sub-Inspector |
| Injuries | 12 officers wounded |
| Equipment Losses | 5 police vehicles set ablaze |
Following the strike, local administrators declared a medical emergency across surgical and trauma wards at the District Headquarters Teaching Hospital to handle incoming casualties.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi condemned the strike, warning that criminal networks engaged in mineral theft have forged operational alliances with armed militant factions in the province.
This attack demonstrates an unholy nexus between criminal syndicates and terrorist groups.
Faisal Karim Kundi, Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Security forces have cordoned off the hilltops flanking the Darbokach Jalandhar Banda corridor, with combined pursuit operations underway to track the gunmen responsible for the strike.