Attack on Police in Kohat After Kulgam Firing; Suspected Indian Involvement Raises Serious Security Concerns

Kohat: A deadly terrorist ambush in Pakistan’s Kohat district, resulting in the martyrdom of 11 police personnel, including DSP Haider Zaman, and injuries to 12 others, has raised serious questions about possible Indian involvement in destabilising Pakistan, particularly following the firing incident targeting Central Reserve Police Force personnel in Indian-occupied Kashmir earlier on Wednesday.

The timing of the two incidents has drawn attention to the possibility of a coordinated effort to escalate security tensions in the region. While unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants opened fire on CRPF personnel near Mir Bazar in Kulgam district of Indian-occupied Kashmir, a heavily armed group ambushed a Pakistani police convoy in Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, within hours of the reported incident.

The Kohat attack took place in the Darbokach area of Jalandhar Banda in Gumbat tehsil when a police team was travelling to conduct an operation against illegal gold mining. The attackers, reportedly positioned on surrounding hilltops, opened indiscriminate fire on the convoy.

According to police and Rescue 1122 officials, 11 police personnel, including DSP Gumbat Haider Zaman and Sub-Inspector Mukhtiar, embraced martyrdom, while 12 others sustained injuries. Five police vehicles were also set on fire.

The simultaneous occurrence of attacks targeting security personnel in Indian-occupied Kashmir and Pakistan has raised concerns over a possible regional security conspiracy, with questions emerging about whether Indian intelligence networks could be exploiting militant groups and criminal elements to create instability inside Pakistan.

Pakistan has repeatedly accused Indian intelligence agencies of supporting militant activities and facilitating terrorism inside the country.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police indicated that members of Fitna al-Khawarij, allegedly acting in collaboration with criminal elements involved in illegal mining, were behind the Kohat ambush. Additional police and security forces launched a counter-operation, during which several attackers were reportedly killed. Search operations and clashes were continuing in the area.

The incident has once again highlighted Pakistan's security challenges and raised concerns about the possible exploitation of regional tensions to fuel violence and instability within the country.