At Least 10 Police Officers Killed in Militant Ambush in Northwestern Pakistan

At least 10 police officers have been killed after militants ambushed a police convoy in northwestern Pakistan, triggering an intense exchange of gunfire, according to initial reports from local officials.

The attack occurred on Wednesday, November 11, in Kohat district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a region bordering Afghanistan. Local police official Faisal Khan said two senior officers were among those killed, while security forces continued exchanging fire with the attackers.

Reports from Pakistani media later indicated that the police team was travelling to conduct an operation against illegal gold mining when it came under attack in the Gumbat area. The attackers were reportedly positioned on nearby hills and opened fire as the vehicles passed through the area. Some local reports also said police vehicles were set ablaze.

The casualty figures remained inconsistent in reports emerging after the attack. While the Associated Press initially reported at least 10 officers killed, Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper said 12 officers had been taken to hospital and that the exact number of fatalities was still being established. Other local reports subsequently put the death toll at 11, while an AFP report cited officials who gave a lower figure of eight.

No militant group had officially claimed responsibility in the initial reports. However, suspicion has centred on Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as the Pakistani Taliban, which has intensified attacks against security personnel in the region.

The TTP is a separate organisation from Afghanistan’s Taliban government, although the two groups are closely allied. Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Afghan Taliban authorities of providing safe haven to TTP fighters operating across the border. Kabul has denied the allegations.

The ambush adds to growing security concerns in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where police and other security personnel have faced repeated attacks in recent months. Authorities had not provided a full account of the incident or confirmed the final casualty figures in the initial updates.