The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) said security forces killed a high-profile terrorist commander during a joint operation in Lakki Marwat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on Friday. The department identified the suspect as Zahid Gul and accused him of masterminding the deadly attack on Kohat Police Lines.
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The attack took place on September 18, when an explosives-laden vehicle detonated near a mosque inside Kohat Police Lines. Militants then stormed the compound and targeted police facilities. The assault killed 17 police officers and six civilians. Security forces later killed eight attackers during an overnight clearance operation.
According to the CTD, Friday’s operation took place in the Walai Sagai area of Lakki Marwat. Officials alleged that Gul drove the explosives-laden vehicle to Kohat Police Lines and helped facilitate the arrival of suicide bombers. They also linked him to the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group and said he was wanted in several other terrorism cases.
The department further accused Gul of involvement in a bank robbery in Kohat’s Balitang area, where Rs6 million was stolen. It alleged that militants later distributed the money among groups operating in Bannu’s Bakakhel and Janikhel areas. The CTD also said Gul had brought a suicide bomber for a planned attack on the new Kohat Police Lines two months earlier. Security forces reportedly foiled that plot. Officials added that he had planned attacks on a Pakistan Air Force facility and a police training school.
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The operation comes amid rising security concerns across Pakistan. A report by the Centre for Research and Security Studies recorded an 83 per cent increase in violence-related fatalities during the third quarter of 2026. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan accounted for 98 per cent of the reported deaths. Recent attacks in Kohat and Dera Ismail Khan have further highlighted the ongoing security challenges.