REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, GURDASPUR -- Ten people including three civilians were killed on Monday when gunmen wearing army uniforms stormed a police station in northern India near the border with Pakistan, sparking a shootout lasting almost 11 hours.

Police said three attackers had been killed in the battle with security forces that began in the early hours of Monday and terrified local residents.

Four police officers including the local superintendent also died in the operation in the usually calm northern state of Punjab.

"The police superintendent fought them bravely but unfortunately he was shot in the head and he died on the spot," said Anand Kumar, part of the special forces team that entered the building.

The assault only ended at around 5pm when security forces finally entered the police station where the unidentified gunmen had been holed up.

One civilian was killed when the attackers opened fire at a bus station while the other two died at the police station, said Sumedh Singh Saini, director general of police for Punjab.

He told reporters it was "too early to say" who the attackers were.

Five live bombs were recovered from nearby railway tracks, forcing train services to be cancelled.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh said he had ordered increased security on the border with Pakistan, which condemned the assault in a statement.

A number of other states were also reported to be on high alert.

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