The Diamer police has lodged an FIR and arrested six suspects in connection with an attack on an Islamabad-bound bus in Gilgit-Baltistan’s (GB) Chilas. At least nine people, including two soldiers, lost their lives and 21 passengers received injuries in the attack.
No organization has claimed responsibility for the incident. All entry and exit points of GB have been closed and there is high alert security in the region. Search operations have been launched across Diamer and traffic on the Karakoram Highway will remain suspended.
The funeral prayers of the deceased have been offered and their bodies were dispatched to their hometowns. GB Interior Minister Shams Lone visited injured persons at the hospital and directed the medical staff to ensure the provision of the best medical care.
Protests were held in Chilas and Hunza against the incident, with demonstrators demanding immediate action and the arrest of the culprits. Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar affirmed that anti-state elements would not be allowed to sabotage peace in GB and condemned the incident, expressing deep grief over the martyrdom of innocent citizens.