Overview
- Police and the Counter-Terrorism Department said Friday that an intelligence-driven raid in the Walai/Wolai Sagai area of Lakki Marwat killed militant commander Zahid Gul.
- Officials accuse Gul of masterminding the September 18 suicide-vehicle-and-gun assault on Kohat Police Lines, an attack that security sources reported killed police and civilians and was followed by a clearance operation that killed the attackers.
- The CTD linked Gul to the Hafiz Gul Bahadur network and said he helped bring suicide bombers to Kohat and took part in a reported Rs6 million bank robbery whose proceeds were distributed to militant factions.
- Authorities said other members of the suspected network have been arrested and will face further investigation, with the CTD describing the operation as part of a broader counterterror push in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
- Security analysts and officials note a sharp rise in violence in Q3 2026, a trend that has increased pressure on police and the military to carry out intelligence-led raids and could lead to more operations and local security measures.