In Diamer, Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), security forces launched an hours-long firefight operation that resulted in the death of a well-known terrorist and the injuries of seven others, according to officials.
Interior Minister Shams Lone of Great Britain confirmed the development in an interview with Dawn.com, noting that a terrorist accomplice was hurt during the gunfight.
Pakistan has stepped up national operations in response to the growing threat posed by militants. The terrorist’s affiliation is yet unknown, although Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is usually responsible for most attacks in the country’s northern regions, particularly those close to the Afghanistan border.
“During an intelligence-based security operation in the Darel district of GB, terrorist commander Shah Faisal was killed, while his accomplice, Zahidullah, was injured,” Lone stated. “The district was under extreme tension as a result of the lengthy gunfight.”
He continued by saying that during the gunfight, four GB Scouts, an old guy, and a small girl were also hurt, and that one more terrorist was still at large and being sought after.
Lone claimed that the terrorist who was killed had planned a bus attack in Chilas in December of last year that left eight people dead and eight injured. However, nine people died and 21 more were injured in the event, according to a Dawn report.
The bus, owned by a local private company, was shot at by unidentified gunmen, according to officials, who were firing from adjacent hills. The gunshot wound forced the bus to veer and collide head-on with a goods truck, killing the driver of the truck. Six individuals were detained by Diamer police one day after the attack, which Lone had classified as terrorism.
Security at the Karakoram Highway (KKH) and Gilgit city has been placed on high alert, according to GB government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq, who talked with Dawn.com.
Additionally, he said, entry and exit point checks have become more rigorous. Later, Faraq added that as a precaution, Babusar Road and KKH had been closed.
Declared a health emergency in Diamer
The GB health department declared an emergency in all of the district’s medical institutions following the occurrence.
All medical superintendents of the Chilas Regional Headquarters Hospital, Tangi Tehsil Headquarters Hospital, and the Diamer District Health Officer were instructed to stay at their stations and not leave without authorization, according to a notice released by the health department.
It also mandated that all physicians and paramedics in Diamer be on call and make sure that ambulances and a sufficient quantity of essential medications are available.
