GILGIT, July 18: At least four passengers of a bus were killed and six others injured when it was ambushed near Gonar Farm in Diamer district on Sunday night. The Northern Areas Transport Company bus was heading towards Rawalpindi from Gilgit when the assailants opened fire on it on the Karakoram Highway in Shelang Nullah area and fled, injured passengers told police.

The victims are: Shero Khan of Gupis, driver Ghulam Rehman of Balakot, Haji Nazar Hussain of Balakot and Ahmed Hussain of Dakpora. Those injured are: Abdul Hakeem of Jaglote; his daughters Saima Hakeem and Hakeema; Shaina, wife of Ahmed Hussain, of Amphary; a constable of the Frontier Constabulary; and Sahib Panah of Ishkomen, a student of the Karachi University.

Diamer police have arrested three suspects in the case.

Police said the bodies of Ahmed Ali and Shero had been brought to Gilgit for burial. The injured have been admitted to the Chilas district headquarters hospital.

Over a dozen buses had been targeted by assailants in the area during the past seven months, killing 15 passengers and wounding many others. Police have traced the accused in one of the attacks in Thalichee area.

MISSING: A shepherd, Sajjad Hussain, 15, has been missing since July 14, when he was swept away with 25 goats and lambs by floodwater near Gowatch village.