PESHAWAR: Gunmen attacked police officers during an operation against illegal gold mining in north-western Pakistan on Wednesday, killing 10 officers, while 18 militants were killed in the ensuing clashes, according to an official police statement.
A statement issued by provincial police in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa said officers were returning from a mine in the Gumbat area of Kohat district when militants opened fire on them.
In addition to the 10 police officers and 18 militants killed, 12 police personnel were wounded, the statement said.
Following the clashes, the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claimed responsibility for a series of attacks across the country, including one targeting a police convoy in the Gumbat area.
