ISLAMABAD — Ten police personnel, including a deputy superintendent of police (DSP) and a sub-inspector, were killed and 18 terrorists were killed after the latter attacked a police team during an operation against illegal gold mining in the Gambat area of Kohat in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) on Wednesday. A statement from the K-P Police said that the police party was returning after completing the operation when it came under attack by members of the proscribed Fitna al-Khawarij, allegedly acting at the behest of criminal elements.
It added that the police personnel fought back, killing 18 terrorists, while 10 police personnel were martyred during the exchange of fire. The statement added that the "nexus between criminal elements and Fitna al-Khawarij, which operate at the behest of foreign forces, demonstrated organised links between criminal mafias and the militant group". The police further said the incident demonstrated that the Fitna al-Khawarij had no connection with Islam or Pakistan and was working alongside criminal mafias to pursue its nefarious objectives.
The K-P Police vowed that all possible action would be taken against criminal elements operating with foreign backing and Fitna al-Khawarij, adding that their facilitators and criminal networks would not be spared and illegal activities would not be tolerated.