PESHAWAR: The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on Saturday claimed responsibility for a gun ambush that killed three police officers in northern Pakistan, the second attack claimed by the group just days after it announced an end to a ceasefire with the government.

Police carrying out a patrol in Nowshera, a district of northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province which borders Afghanistan, came under fire on Saturday evening, a regional police deputy inspector, Mohammad Ali Gandapur, told Reuters.

He said three police officers were killed on the spot and the identity of the attackers was unknown.

The TTP claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement.

On Monday the TTP announced an end to a months-long ceasefire, claiming a suicide attack in the southern Pakistani city of Quetta two days later, which killed four people and wounded more than 30.

The Afghan Taliban have been facilitating peace talks between TTP 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.