At least 10 police personnel were killed on Wednesday, 11 November 2026, when militants ambushed a police team in Kohat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during an operation against illegal gold mining. Kohat police spokesperson Muhammad Nauman Zeb said the dead included DSP Gambat Haider Zaman and Sub-Inspector Mukhtiar. Reuters, citing a rescue-group spokesman, reported 11 police personnel feared killed in the attack, and said Pakistan's Interior Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. ## Ambush in the Gambat area The police team was heading to raid illegal mining activity when it came under fire in the Darbokach Jalandhar Banda area, between Kohat and Karak, in the Gambat area. Initial reports said the attackers opened fire from hilltops, and five police mobile vehicles were set on fire during the assault. An emergency was declared at the District Headquarters Teaching Hospital in Kohat, and reinforcements were rushed to the scene as a heavy exchange of fire continued. Khyber Chronicles reported that eight injured police personnel were taken to hospital and that several attackers were reportedly killed in retaliatory fire. No group had claimed responsibility for the attack at the time of reporting. ## Operation against illegal mining continues Police said the operation targeted a network involved in illegal gold mining in the area, which officials say works alongside armed groups. The district police chief said the operation would continue without interruption until those responsible were brought to justice. On 18 September 2026, an attack on the Kohat Police Lines killed 15 police personnel among 23 people. Figures from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data project show attacks in Pakistan rose nearly fourfold to 2,425 in 2025, up from 658 in 2022. Sources: [Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/eleven-pakistani-police-personnel-feared-killed-attack-rescue-group-says-2026-11-11/) and [Khyber Chronicles](https://khyberchronicles.pk/kohat-police-strike-back-against-khawarij-criminal-nexus-several-khawarij-killed-in-darbokach-gun-battle/).