GILGIT: A Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) worker was martyred, while three others including an army major, were injured when an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded near an FWO vehicle in the Tangir valley of Diamer on Thursday.
Subsequently, two terrorists were killed and three injured during an exchange of fire.
According to an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement, the FWO vehicle came under attack on Tangir Bushidas Road when the officer in charge, along with personnel, was on a routine visit.
“As a result of the explosion, a local civilian driver was martyred while three people, including a major identified as Zeeshan, received injuries,” it added.
“Immediately after the incident, security agencies cordoned off the area and conducted a search and combing operation,” it continued.
“During the operation, there was an exchange of fire with the terrorists in which two terrorists were killed and three were injured. Security forces are conducting cordon and search operations in the area.”
The statement said that “this cowardly act is an attempt to disrupt the peaceful environment of the area, which will be foiled at all costs”. “The Pakistan Army and security agencies are fully alert to establish peace in Gilgit-Baltistan and the safety of the people will be ensured at all costs,” it added.
Diamer Deputy Commissioner Ataur Rehman Kakar told Dawn that at around 11:16am on Thursday, an IED blast occurred near Tangir Bridge, about one kilometre from the FWO Tangir Camp. He said so far no outfit had claimed responsibility for the attack. The injured have been shifted to government hospitals in Chilas.
The funeral prayer of the martyred FWO driver was held in Chilas. The Diamer deputy commissioner, Diamer Astore Range DIG Farrukh Rashid and senior army officials attended the funeral.
Later, the body was shifted to his native area in Punjab for burial.
Attack condemned
In a statement, GB Caretaker Chief Minister retired Justice Yar Muhammad strongly condemned the attack on the FWO vehicle by terrorists in Tangir. He added that Fitna al Khawarij — a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) — were carrying out cowardly acts to create unrest and destabilise the country.
He said the government would take action against these terrorists and they would be brought to justice.
The caretaker chief minister said law enforcement agencies would make an example of the terrorists.
He prayed for the high rank of the driver who was martyred in the terrorist incident and for the speedy recovery of the injured.
GB caretaker ministers, heads of political and religious parties, and civil society members condemned the incident and demanded action against the terrorists.
On Aug 29 last year, two soldiers of the Gilgit-Baltistan Scouts were martyred and another was injured when armed militants opened fire on their checkpoint along the Karakoram Highway in Diamer district. Then, on Aug 31, four police personnel were injured when militants attacked a patrol van near Babusar Top, within the jurisdiction of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The banned TTP had claimed responsibility for both attacks.
Published in Dawn, February 13th, 2026
