Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has paid tribute to the 10 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police officers killed in a militant ambush in Kohat, calling them heroes of the nation and vowing that the government will make no compromise on Pakistan’s peace and stability.

In a late-night statement issued on Thursday, the prime minister expressed grief over the martyrdom of the officers, including Deputy Superintendent of Police Haider Zaman, and extended condolences to their families. He was speaking from Antalya in Türkiye, where he is attending the COP31 climate summit.

Mr Sharif said the officers of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police had set an outstanding example of devotion to duty, courage and bravery by laying down their lives for the peace and security of the country, and that the entire nation held their sacrifices in the highest regard.

Ambush after gold-mining operation

The attack took place on Wednesday in the Darbokach Jalandhar Banda area, between the districts of Kohat and Karak, police said. A police party was returning from a joint operation with the local civil administration against illegal gold mining in the Gambat area when it came under heavy fire from attackers positioned on nearby hilltops.

According to police, the attackers belonged to the group the state calls Fitna al-Khawarij, acting at the instigation of criminal elements involved in illegal mining. The police party fought back, and 18 militants were killed in the exchange of fire. Ten police personnel were martyred, and 12 injured officers were taken to hospital, where an emergency was declared at the District Headquarters Teaching Hospital in Kohat.

Those killed included DSP Gambat Haider Zaman and Sub-Inspector Mukhtiar, Kohat police spokesperson Muhammad Nauman Zeb said. Police said the joint attack showed organised links between criminal mafias and militants, and vowed that facilitators of both would not be spared.

No militant group had immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. Suspicion is likely to fall on the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, which has stepped up attacks on security forces in the region in recent months.

Resolve to eliminate terrorism

Mr Sharif said the killing of 18 militants during the operation showed the professional capability, bravery and unwavering resolve of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police. He reaffirmed the government’s determination to eradicate terrorism from the country and prayed for the elevation of the departed souls and patience for the bereaved families.

Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi also condemned the attack, paying tribute to the fallen officers.

The ambush comes amid a sharp rise in militant violence across Pakistan. According to data compiled by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, an Islamabad-based independent think tank, 225 militant attacks were recorded across the country in September 2026, compared with 199 in August, an increase of 13 per cent. It was the highest monthly number of militant attacks in 12 years, and the third consecutive monthly rise.

Pakistan has witnessed a sharp increase in cross-border militant incidents, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in 2021. Islamabad has repeatedly urged Kabul to prevent its territory from being used by militant organisations to carry out attacks inside Pakistan, a demand Kabul disputes.