Nine killed and more than 20 injured as militants open fire at a bus in northern Pakistan

Over 20 others sustained injuries in the attack

Police officers arrive to conduct a search operation at Karachi, Pakistan. Reprsentational image (Associated Press)

Militants attacked a bus in northern Pakistan, resulting in the death of nine people, including two soldiers, the local police said on Sunday.

Over 20 others sustained injuries in the incident.

The attack on a bus occurred on Saturday at about 6.30pm along the Karakoram Highway in the northern Gilgit Baltistan region, police officer Azmat Shah told the Associated Press.

Authorities reported that unidentified gunmen targeted a bus operated by a local private company from nearby hills.

The attack led to the bus swerving into a goods truck, resulting in a head-on collision that claimed the lives of both the bus and truck drivers.

The impact resulted in a fire, claiming the lives of both drivers at the scene.

Two soldiers of the Pakistan Army were also killed in the incident while a police official was injured. Police said that more than 20 people were injured in the attack.

Among the injured was one local Islamic cleric, identified as Mufti Sher Zaman.

The injured were transported to nearby hospitals, police said.

“An unfortunate incident occurred in which a cowardly act was done, targeting a bus,” the regional police commissioner was quoted as saying by Dawn.

The area was also cordoned off by the law enforcement authorities and traffic had to be redirected.

No group or individual immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

The Karakoram Highway in the northern Gilgit Baltistan region in Pakistan serves as a vital link between Pakistan and China, traversing through the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

This region has been a historical hotspot for terrorism, marked by the presence of the Pakistani Taliban and various other militant groups.

The home minister of Gilgit Baltistan, Shams Lone, called the incident an “act of terrorism”.

Pakistan’s interim prime minister, Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, condemned the attack, saying “anti-state elements would not be allowed to sabotage the peace of Gilgit Baltistan”.

He vowed to continue fighting “against terrorists”.

An investigation has been launched, the chief minister of Gilgit Baltistan, Gulbar Khan said.

Additional reporting with agencies