GILGIT: Two more people who were injured in an attack targeting a passenger bus in Diamer have lost their lives, taking the total death toll to 11, Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Haji Gulbar Khan said on Tuesday.

Earlier, it was reported that nine people, including two soldiers, lost their lives when unknown attackers opened fire at the Rawalpindi-bound bus from nearby hills.

Addressing a session of the GB assembly on Tues­d­­ay, the chief minister cal­led the attack “a conspiracy to create unrest in the region”. He said it was his government’s responsibility to bring the accused to justice.

“A meeting of local elders and religious leaders in Diamer was called after the attack in which GB cabinet members and other top officials also participated,” he said, adding that they were reques­ted to help the government in arresting the culprits.

Mr Khan said terrorist attacks which occurred in Diamer were termed “sectarian”, which benefited the terrorists.

“Today, we call them [attackers] mujahideen or commanders. These names were not given to them by the government,” he added. “Whatever they call themselves, I assure you we will arrest them.”

He urged opposition members to refrain from labelling terrorist attacks as a sectarian matter.

GB Home Minister Shams Lone told the house that a search operation was underway to arrest the culprits.

Published in Dawn, December 13th, 2023