The Pakistani police announced today, Wednesday, that 10 police officers and 18 militants were killed in an attack near Kohat.
The police stated in a statement followed by the news video agency that "ten members of the Pakistani police and 18 militants were killed today, Wednesday, in an attack and exchange of fire near the city of Kohat in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region, northwest of the country, following an operation against illegal gold mining."
They added that "the regional police and local civil administration carried out an operation in the Darabo Kach area against individuals involved in illegal gold mining," noting that "militants attacked the force while it was returning after completing the mission."
They continued that "the police responded to the attack, resulting in the death of 18 militants and 10 members of the security force," accusing "the group 'Fitna Al-Khawarij' of carrying out the attack at the instigation of criminal elements."
They considered that "the incident reveals coordination between crime networks and armed groups," pledging to "pursue the perpetrators of the attack, their facilitators, and the criminal networks associated with them," emphasizing "the continuation of measures against illegal mining activities," pointing out that "the ten police officers who were killed hail from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region, particularly from the Kohat area."