PESHAWAR, Pakistan — In the early hours of Thursday, a police outpost in the troubled region of northwestern Pakistan came under assault from militants armed with automatic weapons. The brutal attack resulted in the deaths of three police personnel and left five others injured, according to police reports.

The incident took place in Karak, a district located in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which shares a border with Afghanistan. Local police official Abbas Khan noted that officers engaged in a firefight following the ambush from the assailants, who subsequently fled the scene amidst the chaos.

As of now, no group has formally claimed responsibility for the attack. However, Pakistan’s Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi, expressed condemnation for the violence through a public statement, extending condolences to the families of the deceased officers. He also pointed fingers at the Pakistani Taliban, attributing the assault to their actions.

In recent months, Pakistan has experienced an upsurge in militant activity, much of which has been linked to the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Although the TTP has connections to the Afghan Taliban—who took control of Afghanistan in 2021—it operates independently. The ongoing risks posed by such groups present significant challenges to the region’s stability.