Militants armed with guns and rockets attacked a Pakistani police checkpost overnight, sparking gunbattles that left six police officers dead.

Militants armed with guns and rockets attacked a Pakistani police checkpost overnight, sparking gunbattles that left six police officers dead, officials said Monday.

The attack took place in the Mattani area on the outskirts of the northwestern city of Peshawar, a gateway to the semi-autonomous tribal belt on the Afghan border where the Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked militants have strongholds.

"Dozens of militants attacked the checkpost, killing four policemen including senior official Khushid Khan and two paramilitary FC (Frontier Constabulary) men," local police official Nasim Hayat told Agence France Presse.

The militants set fire to the checkpost and three police vehicles, before fleeing, Hayat said.

Another police official, Sher Muhammad, who was wounded in the attack, confirmed the incident and casualties.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but the Pakistani Taliban frequently target security forces as part of a five-year insurgency concentrated in the northwest.