GILGIT: A police official from an elite force and a civilian were shot dead in seperate incidents of violence in Gilgit city, senior administration and police officials said.

“One police official and one civilian was killed by unidentified people,” Deputy Commissioner Gilgit Shahbaz Nadim Bhatti said.

Earlier, Superintendent of Police, District Gilgit Muhammad Ali Zia said two police officials were hit by unknown people in Sakwar point of Gilgit city when they were returning to a police recruit training center.

“A motor bike chased the policemen and targeted them at Sakwar with pistols after which the attackers escaped,” a junior police official said requesting not to be named.

The injured policemen were shifted instantly to the City Hospital Gilgit and health authorities operated upon them. However one police official succumbed to his injuries, while another was in critical condition.

Police identified the deceased policeman as Sher Bahadur while the hospitalised policeman's name is Muhammad Bilal.

Within a short time of this incident, armed men opened fire in old PIA Link Road shooting and injuring two people who were taken to DHQ Hospital where one of them later died.

The other injured person was being treated and doctors hoped he would recover as his condition was stable.

District Magistrate Shahbaz Nadeem Bhatti told Dawn.com that it was not possible to ascertain the motives behind the two incidents.

“We are looking into the incidents.. whether they are linked with ongoing terrorism in the country.

"we recieved a threat alert that government officials particularly policemen could be hit or there could be sectarian motivated violence,” he said.

Bhatti added that investigators were interrogating the matter.

He said raids are being conducted in the town for the potential suspects.

Earlier, security was tightened in the city as several new checkpoints were set up in the city while vehicles were being searched for weapons after a terror alert was conveyed from the Crisis Management Cell of the interior minister.

After the incidents of violence, security in the city was further beefed up as patrolling by law enforcement agencies was enhanced and police contingents were deployed at sensitive parts of the city.