A gunman shot and killed two intelligence officers in an attack outside a roadside restaurant in eastern Pakistan before fleeing, police and security officials said, writes ABC NEWS.

Murtaza Bhatti, a senior police officer in the Punjab province district of Khanewal, said the attack happened when the two officers were parking their vehicle.

No one claimed responsibility for the attack on the officers, who were known for arresting Pakistani Taliban and other militants. They were also known for their expertise in investigating and solving complicated cases, including gun and bomb attacks in the country.

Officials said one of the slain officers was the director of the provincial counter-terrorism department, which has played a key role in arresting Pakistani Taliban. The militant group has stepped up attacks on security forces in recent months after unilaterally ending a monthslong cease-fire with the Pakistan government in November.

The Pakistani Taliban are separate but allied with the Afghan Taliban, who seized power in neighboring Afghanistan in 2021 as U.S. and NATO troops withdrew after 20 years of war.