8 dead, 26 injured as terrorists open fire on bus in POK’s Gilgit Baltistan

At least eight people were killed and 26 others injured when terrorists opened fire on a passenger bus in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir’s Gilgit Baltistan region on Saturday, police said.

The bus was travelling from Gilgit to Rawalpindi when terrorists opened indiscriminate fire around 6:30 pm (local time) in Chilas, an official said. The driver lost control after the attack and the bus collided with a truck coming from the opposite side, the official said.

Deputy Commissioner Chilas Arif Ahmed said five of the eight people killed in the attack were identified so far. He said 26 others were injured and shifted to a nearby hospital.

Two army soldiers, who were in the bus, were also among the dead and one personnel of the Special Protection Unit was injured in the attack, the Deputy Commissioner said.

He said most of the people belonged to Kohistan, Peshawar, Ghizer, Chilas, Roundu, Skardu, Mansehra and Swabi regions and one or two people were from Sindh.

The terrorists managed to escape from the scene after the attack.

The condition of several people was critical and the death toll was expected to rise further.

According to the police, an investigation has been launched into the attack and a search operation was on to catch the terrorists.

Nobody has taken responsibility for the attack so far, but the region has a history of terror attacks.

Gunmen stormed a camping site of climbers in Gilgit Baltistan in 2013 and killed nine foreigners.