In Diamer District, Gilgit-Baltistan, a terrorist attack on Friday claimed the lives of two Gilgit-Baltistan Scouts personnel and left one soldier injured. The attack occurred along the Karakoram Highway.
The Gilgit-Baltistan Scouts are a federal paramilitary force responsible for internal security and border surveillance in the region.
According to SSP Diamer, Abdul Hamid, unknown gunmen opened fire from a high peak near Chilas at a Scouts check post at 12:15 AM on Friday. Three personnel were injured, two of whom later succumbed to their wounds.
The martyrs have been identified as Naib Subedar Khushdad and Havaldar Ashraf, while Lance Naik Sajid Ali was shot in the abdomen and is currently undergoing treatment.
At the time of the attack, there were nine personnel stationed at the check post. Police recovered two hand grenades and ten empty shells from the scene, and there were 17 bullet marks on the post. The terrorists managed to escape after the attack.
Police and security forces quickly responded to the scene, cordoning off the area and launching a search operation. The injured soldier was moved to the Regional Headquarters Hospital in Chilas, where his condition is now reported to be stable.
Shamsul Haq Lone, the Interior Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan, stated that the terrorists took advantage of the darkness to carry out the attack. He confirmed that no prior intelligence warnings were available before the incident. Following the attack, security forces quickly surrounded the area, intensifying the search operation.
Faizullah Faraq, the spokesperson for the Gilgit-Baltistan Government, mentioned that Chief Minister Haji Gulbar Khan had ordered the immediate identification and arrest of the attackers, calling the act a cowardly one.
This attack occurred in the same region where a bus attack on December 2023 led to the deaths of 10 individuals and injuries to 20 others. A Scouts check post was established there on 2nd December 2023 as a precautionary measure.
Earlier this year, on July 21, a similar attack on the Karakoram Highway resulted in the martyrdom of an FC soldier.
