Three US law enforcement officials were killed and five others injured in a shootout Monday as they carried out a warrant at a home in in the southern state of North Carolina, officials said.

At least one suspect was later found dead on the property after officers returned fire, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) wrote on social media, following a standoff that lasted around three hours.

The Department of Justice confirmed that a deputy US marshal and two task force officers were killed in the incident.

Five other officers were also shot, with one from the local police force in "critical condition," CMPD said on social media.

Johnny Jennings, chief of police for CMPD, told reporters that law enforcement officials were met with gunfire while serving a warrant on a convicted felon wanted for possessing a firearm, at around 1:30 pm local time (17:30 GMT).

Officers returned fire and hit one person, who was later pronounced dead, before facing additional gunfire from inside the home, Jennings said.

He said that, after a standoff, officers cleared the property and found a 17-year-old and a woman inside, who were brought to the police station as "persons of interest."

Jennings said the incident was an "absolutely tragic day for the city of Charlotte and for the profession of law enforcement."

US Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement that the Justice Department was "heartbroken by the deaths of three of our own law enforcement colleagues."

President Joe Biden had been briefed on the incident and expressed his "condolences and support for the community," the White House said. BSS/AFP