LAKKI MARWAT: Pakistan’s Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) said on Friday that security forces had killed a high-profile terrorist commander accused of masterminding a September suicide attack on Kohat Police Lines that left 23 people dead, including 17 police officers.
The mastermind of the suicide attack on the Kohat Police Lines has been killed in a joint operation conducted by the Counter Terrorism Department and security forces in FR Lakki Marwat
#News #RadioPakistan
https://t.co/GM8eytvmGQ— Radio Pakistan (@RadioPakistan) October 16, 2026
The CTD identified the slain as Zahid Gul, saying he was killed during a joint operation in the Walai Sagai area of Lakki Marwat district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According to the department, Gul was affiliated with the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group and had facilitated suicide bombings and planned attacks on security installations.
The September 18 assault began when an explosives-laden vehicle detonated near a mosque inside the Kohat Police Lines area. Terrorists then stormed the compound and attacked police facilities, prompting an overnight clearance operation in which eight attackers were killed, according to earlier reports.
In its statement, the CTD said Gul had led the explosives-laden vehicle to the police compound and was wanted in connection with several other acts of terrorism.
The department also said that he was involved in a bank robbery in Kohat’s Balitang area, where Rs6 million was stolen. The money was subsequently distributed among terrorists factions operating in Bannu’s Bakakhel and Janikhel areas, the statement said.
Read Also:Pakistan Security Forces Kill 11 Indian-Backed Terrorists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan
CTD alleges plans for further attacks
The CTD said Gul had remained in contact with the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group and helped facilitate the arrival of several suicide bombers in Kohat.
According to the department, he had brought a suicide bomber to target the new Kohat Police Lines about two months ago, but the planned attack was foiled. The statement also accused him of planning attacks on a Pakistan Air Force facility and a police training school in Kohat.
The CTD added that other members of the network were already in law enforcement custody.
Lakki Marwat: Khariji Zahid Gul, mastermind of Kohat Police Lines attack, killed in joint operation.
He was wanted in several other terrorism cases & also involved in Balitang bank robbery of Rs. 6 million. https://t.co/IHtQ1Q624C
— KP Police (@KP_Police1) October 16, 2026
Pakistan reports rising violence
The operation comes amid a renewed increase in violence across Pakistan, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
A recent report by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) recorded an 83 per cent increase in violence-related fatalities nationwide during the third quarter of 2026, reversing the decline reported in the first two quarters.
The report said Balochistan recorded 829 fatalities, nearly 59 per cent of the national total, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reported 556, accounting for more than 39 per cent. Together, the two provinces accounted for 98 per cent of all fatalities during the period.
Read Also: Pakistan’s Security Forces Kill Five India-Backed Terrorists in Balochistan
Kohat has also witnessed further attacks in recent weeks. On October 7, seven police personnel were injured when terrorists attacked a police checkpost, although officials said the assault was repelled.
On September 27, a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a police checkpost in Dera Ismail Khan before another attack targeted an ambulance transporting bodies to hospital. The incident killed 14 people, including two rescue officials, and injured 35 others.
