3 police officers shot dead in northwestern Pakistan, 2 passersby wounded

Militants killed at least three traffic police officers in an ambush in northwestern Pakistan on Monday, the Interior Ministry said.

The incident occurred in the Tank district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which has faced a new wave of militant attacks in recent months.

Two random passersby were also wounded in the shooting and were taken to hospital. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.

Militants linked to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan have long targeted security forces in the region, which borders neighboring Afghanistan.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa recorded 54 terrorist attacks last month, a 50% increase compared to July, according to monthly data compiled by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, an Islamabad-based research organization.