Three police personnel were martyred when unidentified gunmen attacked a police van in Akora Khattak area of Nowshera district in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, police said on Saturday evening.

“Police were carrying out a patrol when unknown gunmen riding a motorcycle opened fire on the police van, a regional police deputy inspector,” Mohammad Ali Gandapur, told the reporters.

Bodies of the martyred policemen have been shifted to Qazi Medical Complex and District Hospital Nowshera. The martyred policemen were identified as driver Ayaz, Muharrar Manzoor, and constable Amanullah.

Gandapur said that the search for the accused involved in the incident is underway. He said that he was supervising the operation himself and that the accused would be soon under police custody.

The outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban claimed responsibility for a gun ambush, the second attack claimed by the group just days after it announced an end to a ceasefire with the government, Reuters reported.

The militant group claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement.

On Monday, the TTP announced an end to a months-long ceasefire, claiming a suicide attack on a Balochistan Constabulary truck, transporting police officers for polio duty, in Quetta two days later, which killed four people and wounded more than 30.

The Afghan Taliban have been facilitating peace talks between local militants and the government since late last year.

The Pakistan army has conducted several operations against the militants in their strongholds in lawless districts along the Afghan border in recent months.