Militants attack police in Kohat, injuring eight officers
Police fear some officers may have been killed, and several militants were reportedly killed in the exchange of fire that followed the attack.
Militants attacked a police team during a grand operation against illegal gold mining in Kohat on Wednesday, injuring eight officers, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police said, ARY News reported.
The attack took place in the Rehokach area under the limits of Gumbat police station, the police said.
The police said the injured officers had been taken to hospital, and there were fears that some of them may have been killed.
Police and other security forces reached the site, and an exchange of fire left several militants dead, the police said.
The police described the attackers as Fitna al Khawarij, a term Pakistan uses for militants linked to the Pakistani Taliban, along with criminal elements.
The District Police Officer of Kohat said illegal gold mining continues because of a nexus between militants and criminals.
The DPO said the operation would continue until the last militant was eliminated.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which borders Afghanistan, has faced repeated militant attacks on its security forces in recent years, and police operations in the province have often targeted armed groups operating in remote areas.
The police have not yet released a confirmed toll of officers killed or militants killed in the latest clash, and the source did not provide further details on the operation's outcome.
