A dozen militants carried out the assault on November 23 in the northwestern town of Dera Ismail Khan, using grenades and guns to kill two police officers and wound four others.

The attack comes a day after the Associated Press quoted a senior Taliban commander who said the group had declared a cease-fire to encourage new peace talks.

But Pakistani Taliban spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan on November 23 denied the militant group was in talks with the government. He told reporters that if the Taliban had announced a cease-fire, the militant group would not have attacked the police station.

Pakistan's army and interior minister have already issued their own denials.