DSP among six police officials martyred in Kohat terrorists attack

KOHAT: A deputy superintendent of police (DSP) and five other officers were martyred on Tuesday when armed militants ambushed a police van in the Shakardara Road area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Kohat district, police officials said, in one of the deadliest attacks on law enforcement in the region this year.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Asad Mahmood was among at least six police personnel killed when the assailants opened fire on the vehicle as it was transporting two detainees for court appearance, according to police sources.

Police said the attackers also set the van ablaze before fleeing.

The martyred police officials included Inspector Anar Gul Khan, the DSP’s driver and reader, and four constables, according to sources.

The two detainees being transported were also killed in the attack, while three other officials wounded and hospitalized, the sources said.

The assault spread panic in area o, prompting police and security forces to cordon off the scene and launch a search operation for the gunmen.

Security was placed on high alert in Kohat and neighbouring districts, with checkpoints strengthened at key entry and exit points.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi condemned the attack and praised the fallen officers’ sacrifice, pledging that the perpetrators would be brought to justice.

President Asif Ali Zardari also paid tribute to the officers and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to combating terrorism.

The ambush underscores a recent uptick in militant violence in KP, including previous attacks on security forces in Kohat and neighbouring districts.

Analysts have noted an increase in both frequency and lethality of militant incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa this year, part of a broader pattern of resurgent violence after a relative lull at the end of 2025.