Crime & Justice

Attack on bus kills 10 in northern Pakistan

Islamabad, Dec 3 (EFE).- At least 10 people were killed and another 26 were wounded on Saturday as unknown gunmen opened fire on a moving bus in northern Pakistan, an official said Sunday.

The incident occurred late Saturday along the Karakoram Highway near Chilas town in Diamer district of Gilgit-Baltistan region.

Those dead included two soldiers traveling in the bus, which was going from Gahkuch in Ghizer district to Rawalpindi.

“Unknown armed persons opened fire on a passenger bus at 6:30pm in the Hudur area of Chilas,” DIamer’s Senior Superintendent of Police Shehryar Ahmed told EFE.

Consequently, the bus went out of control and collided with a truck coming from the opposite side, he added.

“Resultantly, 10 passengers including two soldiers were killed while 26 others were wounded in the attack,” said Ahmed, adding that the truck driver was also among those killed.

As soon as the incident was reported, the rescue teams reached the spot and transferred all those wounded to a nearby hospital in Chilas.

Announcements were made from the mosques of Chilas for blood donation for the injured.

Taking precautionary measures, other vehicles which reached the scene after the incident were escorted away in a convoy.

The province’s Chief Minister Haji Gulbar Khan, in a statement, condemned the attack on the bus and announced the formation of a team to investigate the incident.

Khan said that the government will use all its resources to arrest the criminals, and cover all medical expenses of those injured in the incident.

According to Islamabad-based think tank Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), Pakistan witnessed a 34 percent increase in anti-state violence in November.

PICSS data revealed that a total of 63 militant attacks occurred during the last month, resulting in 83 fatalities and 89 wounded.

The security forces took down at least 59 militants, while 18 suspected militants were apprehended. EFE

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