GILGIT: At least six people were killed and seven others sustained severe bullet injuries after gunmen opened fire on a passenger vehicle in the Naltar Bala area of Gilgit Baltistan (GB) on Thursday.
According to sources, the passenger bus was on its way from Gilgit to Naltar Bala Hunza when unidentified armed men opened fire on it near the Naltar Pine area of Gilgit. As a result, six passengers were killed on the spot, while seven others sustained severe bullet injuries.
Police said that the van was on its way from Gilgit to Naltar Bala when it was fired upon at the RC bridge by unidentified suspects.
After being informed, police and rescue officials rushed to the scene and shifted the bodies and the injured to DHQ Hospital for treatment, and postmortem, respectively. The five deceased all hailed from Naltar Bala, where the passenger vehicle was traveling to.
Meanwhile, heavy contingents of police and security forces reached the area and launched a search operation to apprehend the suspects. Police said that six local residents including a woman were killed in the incident, while seven passengers sustained injuries.
Chief Minister Gilgit Baltistan Muhammad Khalid Khurshid Khan has taken notice of firing on a citizen and sought a detailed inquiry report from CCPO GB. He ordered the immediate arrest of the criminals who fired on the vehicle.
He also instructed the provision of the best treatment facilities to the injured. The chief minister also extended sympathies to the bereaved heirs and expressed a deep sense of sorrow over the loss of lives.
He appealed to the people to cooperate with the government to maintain law and order in the region and vowed to deal with the elements involved in the attack with an iron hand. The chief minister also directed authorities to take steps to protect passengers on Karakoram Highway.
