At least seven people, including five police officers, were killed and four others wounded when unidentified gunmen ambushed a police vehicle in Pakistan’s northwestern Kohat District on Tuesday, officials said.

The attack took place on Shakar Dara Road in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as officers were transporting detained suspects.

Police said the assailants opened fire on the vehicle before setting it ablaze. “Five police officers and two accused were killed in the incident,” officials at the Kohat Police Control Room said.

Those killed included a senior police officer, Deputy Superintendent of Police Asad Mehmood, Sub-Inspector Anar Gul, Reader Wahab Ali, driver Mudassir and Constable Syed Amir Abbas, along with two detainees. Four others, including a police constable and a detained suspect, were taken to a district hospital for treatment.

Security forces cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to track down the attackers. No group immediately claimed responsibility.

Militant violence has surged in parts of northwestern Pakistan in recent months. The outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has carried out repeated attacks targeting police and security personnel in the region.

Provincial Chief Minister Sohail Afridi condemned the assault, describing it as a tragic incident and vowing that the sacrifices of the officers would not be in vain.

Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also denounced the attack and expressed condolences to the families of those killed, reaffirming the government’s commitment to combating militancy.