Five Pakistani police officers were killed on Tuesday after their vehicle was ambushed in a deadly attack involving bombs and gunfire in the north-west of the country, police said.
According to regional police officials, the vehicle was first targeted with improvised explosive devices before attackers opened fire. Four police officers and the driver were killed in the assault. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the incident, saying the police had long been on the front lines of the country’s fight against terrorism.
The attack took place in the Karak district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, an area that has been relatively less affected by militant violence in recent years. It comes amid worsening relations between Pakistan and neighbouring Afghanistan following a rise in cross-border attacks.
Islamabad and Kabul have struggled to maintain a ceasefire reached in October after the most serious border clashes since the Taliban returned to power.
Pakistan has accused militant groups of using Afghan territory to plan and launch attacks inside the country, allegations that Afghan authorities have repeatedly denied, insisting that Pakistan’s security situation is an internal matter.
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