KOHAT: Four people were killed and several others injured in an armed clash linked to a dispute over alleged illegal gold mining in Kohat, prompting police to launch a crackdown in the Darbo Kach area.
The firing took place within the jurisdiction of Gambat police station, where two groups reportedly clashed over gold mining activities. Police reached the area after the incident, cordoned it off and began operations to arrest those involved. Four people were killed and four others were reported injured in the latest accounts.
Cases Registered, Anti-Terrorism Provision Added
Two first information reports (FIRs) were registered following the incident. According to reports, Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act was also included in the cases, while former MPA Amjad Afridi was named in one of the cases.
The clash has been linked to a wider dispute over alleged illegal placer-gold mining in the area. However, the precise roles of the individuals and groups involved remain subject to the police investigation.
Police Target Illegal Mining Sites
Following the firing, Kohat police carried out an operation in Darbo Kach against those allegedly involved in illegal gold mining. Several people were reportedly arrested, while illegal mining sites were dismantled and excavators and other heavy machinery were removed from the area.
The action comes amid a broader government crackdown on unauthorized placer-gold extraction in Kohat and other districts. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government recently extended a ban on unauthorized mining and illegal extraction of placer gold along affected areas of the Indus and Kabul rivers, citing environmental, public-safety and law-and-order concerns.
Illegal Mining Dispute Raises Security Concerns
The latest violence follows other incidents connected to enforcement operations against illegal gold mining in Kohat. Earlier, unidentified armed men reportedly opened fire on a convoy carrying the Kohat deputy commissioner and other officials after an anti-mining operation, although no casualties were reported in that incident.
Police investigations into the latest clash are continuing, while further action against individuals allegedly involved in unauthorized mining is expected.