Militant commander linked to the deadly attack on Kohat Police Lines has been killed during a joint operation in Lakki Marwat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) said on Friday.
In a statement, the CTD identified the slain commander as Zahid Gul, mastermind behind the September 18 assault, which claimed the lives of 17 policemen and six civilians.
The attack began when an explosives-filled vehicle detonated near a mosque inside Kohat Police Lines, after which armed militants stormed the compound and targeted police installations. Eight attackers were subsequently killed during an overnight clearance operation.
According to the CTD, the latest operation was carried out in the Walai Sagai area of Lakki Marwat, where Gul, who was affiliated with the Hafiz Gul Bahadur militant group, was killed.
The department alleged that Gul had driven the explosives-laden vehicle used in the Kohat attack and was wanted in connection with several other terrorist activities.
It also linked him to a bank robbery in Kohat’s Balitang area, where Rs6 million was stolen. The looted money was reportedly distributed among militant factions operating in Bannu’s Bakakhel and Janikhel areas.
The CTD further said Gul had maintained contact with the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group and helped facilitate the arrival of several suicide bombers in Kohat.
Two months ago, he allegedly brought a suicide bomber to target the new Kohat Police Lines, but the plot was foiled, the statement added.
He was also accused of planning attacks on a Pakistan Air Force installation and a police training school in Kohat.
The department said other members of the militant network were already in the custody of law enforcement agencies.
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