SKARDU, July 4: Three passengers, including an Army subedar, were killed and seven others were injured when unidentified persons opened fire on a passenger coaster in a Kohistani village early on Sunday morning along the Karakoram Highway.

The coaster (BM-929) of Mashabrum Transport Company with 26 passengers was on its way to Skardu from Rawalpindi when it was fired upon indiscriminately at about 1:45am at Mata Banda village in Kohistan District of Frontier province.

Three passengers, identified as Ms Ruqia, resident of Gamba, Skardu; Subedar Sher Ali of Pakistan army, resident of Qumrah; and Mohammad Sharif, the conductor of the coaster and resident of Gamba, Skardu died on the spot.