LAKKI MARWAT: Pakistani counterterrorism officials say security forces killed Zahid Gul, mastermind of the suicide bombing at Kohat Police Lines, during a joint intelligence-based operation in the Lakki Marwat tribal region, according to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Counter Terrorism Department (CTD).
The CTD identified Gul as a key commander of the Gul Bahadur militant group and accused him of planning the attack and helping transport suicide bombers to Kohat. Officials said he was also wanted in connection with several other acts of terrorism.
According to a CTD spokesperson, Gul personally directed the explosive-laden vehicle used in the attack on Kohat Police Lines. The department said he had also arranged for a suicide bomber to target the new Kohat Police Lines about two months ago, but security forces foiled the attempt.
Investigators also linked Gul to a bank robbery at Bilitang in which Rs6 million was stolen. The CTD said the money was later distributed among militant groups operating in Baka Khel and Jani Khel, areas of Bannu district.
According to the CTD, Gul was planning further attacks on a Pakistan Air Force installation and a police training school in Kohat. Security agencies have also taken other members of the militant group into custody, the department said.
The operation is part of security efforts to target suspected militants and disrupt planned attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which has faced repeated militant violence. The CTD did not provide further details about the operation, including its exact timing or whether any security personnel were injured.
