Militants have shot dead three policemen who went missing during an overnight search in northwest Pakistan, police said Wednesday.
The incident took place in the mountainous town of Ailam in the district of Malakand, where Taliban militants are active.
“Last night militants fired at a police patrol vehicle, after which a search operation was launched in which four policemen went missing,” senior police official Asif Iqbal told AFP.
Police found the bullet-riddled bodies of three officers Wednesday morning, he added. A police station chief was wounded.