CTD Kills Kohat Police Lines Attack Mastermind Zahid Gul in Lakki Marwat Operation

 

Pakistan's Counter-Terrorism Department has killed Zahid Gul, the terrorist commander it identifies as the mastermind of the deadly September suicide attack on the old Kohat Police Lines, in a joint intelligence-based operation with security forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Lakki Marwat district on Friday.

Main News Report

The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa said on Friday that its personnel, together with security forces, had eliminated Zahid Gul — described as a high-profile commander affiliated with the Gul Bahadur group — in the Walai Sagai area of Lakki Marwat, bordering the Bittani subdivision. (Dawn)

According to the CTD statement, Gul was the main mastermind behind the suicide attack on the old Kohat Police Lines and had personally guided the explosives-laden vehicle used in the assault. He was also wanted by security agencies in connection with several other serious acts of terrorism. (Dawn)

The September 18 attack began when an explosives-laden vehicle detonated near a mosque inside the old Kohat Police Lines, after which terrorists stormed the compound and engaged security forces in a prolonged gun battle. The assault left 17 policemen and six civilians dead, while eight attackers were killed during the overnight clearance operation. (Dawn)

Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan, an alliance that includes the Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group, claimed responsibility for the attack. (Aaj English)

Background Context

CTD officials said Gul had played a key role in planning and facilitating the Kohat attack, and had maintained close links with the Gul Bahadur group while helping bring multiple suicide bombers into Kohat. About two months ago, he had brought another suicide bomber intended for an attack on the new Kohat Police Lines — a plot that was successfully foiled. (Dawn; Aaj English)

The department also linked Gul to a bank robbery in the Bili Tang area of Kohat, in which Rs6 million was looted. The stolen money was subsequently distributed among terrorist factions based in the Bakakhel and Janikhel areas of Bannu, according to the CTD statement. (Dawn)

Other operatives belonging to Gul's terrorist network are already in the custody of law-enforcement agencies, officials added. (Dawn)

Reactions and Statements

• Counter-Terrorism Department (official statement): Said Zahid Gul — "the main mastermind behind the suicide attack on old Kohat Police Lines" — was eliminated in the joint operation, and that he had personally led the explosive-laden vehicle to the target on September 18. (Dawn)
• CTD on foiled and future plots: Said Gul had brought a suicide bomber for the new Kohat Police Lines attack two months earlier that was foiled, and that his planned future targets included a Pakistan Air Force facility and the police training school in Kohat. (Aaj English)
• Police officials: Noted that Gul was among the most wanted militants in several serious terrorism cases and had facilitated the arrival of multiple suicide bombers in Kohat. (Aaj English)

Why This News Matters

• Closure for the victims: The September 18 bombing was among the deadliest attacks on security personnel in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in recent months; the killing of its alleged mastermind is a significant moment for the families of the 17 policemen and six civilians who died. (Dawn)
• A blow to the network: Gul was the operational linchpin for suicide attacks in the Kohat belt — removing him degrades the Gul Bahadur group's ability to strike in the region. (Dawn)
• Foiled plots revealed: The CTD disclosures show how close the group came to a second attack on the new Kohat Police Lines, underlining the continuing threat level in southern KP.
• Security signal: The operation reinforces the state's intelligence-based counterterrorism campaign in the merged districts at a time of heightened militant activity. (Dawn)

Future Developments

• Whether the CTD and security forces extend intelligence-based operations into the Bannu belt, where Gul's network distributed looted funds among militant factions.
• What emerges from the interrogation of the network members already in custody — and whether more facilitators are identified.
• Any statement from the Gul Bahadur group or Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan in response to the killing.
• Whether security around sensitive installations in Kohat, including the PAF facility and police training school named as planned targets, is further tightened.

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