QUETTA, Dec 15: Inspector-General Frontier Corps Major-General Shujaat Zamir Dar and DIG Brigadier Saleem Nawaz were injured when their helicopter was fired upon on Thursday from mountains in Kohlu. Balochistan Home Secretary Hamayun Khan confirmed to Dawn that “bullets were fired at the helicopter flying over the mountains and the FC chief and deputy chief received injuries.” The incident took place when they were returning to Quetta from Kohlu, he added.

Sources say the helicopter escaped disaster as the pilot succeeded in landing in Kohlu. The injured officers were immediately taken to the Combined Military Hospital, Quetta, in another helicopter.

The officers, the sources said, had received bullet injuries in their legs and backs.

Official sources said: “They were operated upon to remove bullets and now they are stable.”

According to some sources, Zamir Dar and Saleem Nawaz were on their way to Quetta from Kohlu in a helicopter. While returning, they inspected the area of Doda Pir mountains from where eight rockets had been fired at the Kohlu township when President Musharraf was addressing a public gathering on Wednesday.

During the inspection, miscreants from their hideouts opened fire on the helicopter with machineguns.