ISLAMABAD/PESHAWAR: At least 10 policemen were killed after gunmen attacked a police convoy in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province on Wednesday, police said, adding that an ensuing exchange of fire also killed 18 militants.

Police in KP’s Kohat district said they had launched a major operation against illegal gold mining by a nexus of Pakistani Taliban militants and criminals, during which gunmen attacked the police convoy in the Darbukach area of Kohat.

In a statement, the provincial police force said the officers were returning from a mine when militants opened fire on them. In the aftermath of the clashes, the Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the ambush.

“Police personnel confronted the attackers with exceptional bravery and valor, resulting in 18 militants being sent to hell,” KP police said in a statement late Thursday.

“During this engagement, 10 personnel of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police embraced martyrdom while fighting valiantly.”

Pakistan has seen a surge in violence in its northwest in recent years, much of it blamed on the Pakistani Taliban. Islamabad frequently accuses Afghanistan of sheltering the Pakistani Taliban and other militants, an allegation Kabul denies.

The KP province was placed under emergency rule last month owing to the spike in militant attacks.

Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, who currently heads the provincial administration, condemned Wednesday’s attack on police during an operation against illegal mining.

“Those involved in the attack on the police team must be brought to justice,” he said in a statement.

The provincial administration did not say since when the militants had been illegally mining gold in the district.

In his statement issued Thursday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed sorrow over the killing of police personnel in Kohat.

“The nexus between criminal elements and the militants is a nefarious attempt to spread unrest in the country,” he said.

“We will, under no circumstances, allow such elements to succeed in their vile designs.”