A policeman was killed and two others sustained injuries in a gun attack on a check post in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Charsadda district on Saturday.

According to District Police Officer (DPO) Charsadda Suhail Khalid, terrorists on a motorbike opened fire at a check post manned by three policemen in Dheri Zardad around 5pm when they were signalled to stop.

As a result, a police constable identified as Imran Khan lost his life while two others — Yousuf Ali and Rameez Khan — were injured, confirmed Charsadda police spokesperson Saifullah Khan.

DPO Khalid added that one terrorist was injured in retaliatory firing by the police but his accomplices managed to take him away. "We are trying to find them and a search operation is currently underway to arrest the suspects."

The Charsadda police spokesperson said the slain constable's funeral was held in Police Lines Charsadda, adding that Imran was buried with complete police honours.

Regional Police Officer Mardan Region Muhammad Ali Khan, DPO Khalid, District Commissioner Charsadda Qasim Ali Khan, Circle SDPO, SHOs, political leaders, and heirs of the deceased attended the funeral.

"The police officers recited Fatiha and prayed for the high status of the deceased," the Charsadda police spokesperson added.

The outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement.

The TTP, which has ideological linkages with the Afghan Taliban, executed more than 100 attacks last year, most of which happened after August when the group’s peace talks with the Pakistan government began to falter. The ceasefire was formally ended last year on November 28 by the TTP.

On January 1, a constable was killed when unidentified assailants had opened fire at him in the limits of Omarzai police station.

Officials had said Frontier Reserve Police (FRP) constable Muzammil Shah was travelling on a motorcycle in the Jarra locality of Omarzai when some attackers travelling in a car opened fire at him, killing him instantly.