Three policemen martyred, four injured in attack on police vehicle in Diamer

ISLAMABAD: Three police personnel were martyred and four others were injured on Saturday when unidentified attackers opened fire on a police vehicle in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Diamer district, according to GB Home Minister Sajid Baig.

Baig said the police team was returning from Thor village after destroying poppy cultivation when unknown assailants opened indiscriminate fire on the vehicle. He told Dawn that three police officials were martyred in the attack, while four others were wounded.

Among the injured was a police officer. Shabbir Ahmed Mir, spokesperson for the chief minister, told Dawn that a deputy superintendent of police was also among those hurt in the incident.

According to the home minister, the police party had been attacked while coming back from a two-day operation aimed at destroying poppy crops that were “spread over a vast area of land”. He said an exchange of fire between the police and the attackers continued for several hours.

Baig said an additional contingent of police and other law enforcement personnel had been dispatched to the site following the attack.

Emergency declared at local hospitals

In view of the situation, the health ministry declared an emergency at hospitals in Diamer and directed doctors and paramedical staff to remain on alert.

The incident took place in an area where poppy is harvested every year for the preparation of opium, while police regularly carry out operations to destroy the crop.

Poppy eradication operations in other areas

Separately, police also destroyed poppy crops in several tehsils of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. These included Baranj tehsil in Bajaur, the Bittani subdivision of Lakki Marwat district, Mohmand tribal district, and the mountainous areas of Raza tehsil in Swabi.

The attack in Diamer occurred after the police team had completed action against poppy cultivation in Thor village. Officials said reinforcements were sent to the area after the firing, while hospitals in the district were placed on emergency footing to deal with the aftermath.

No further details about the identity of the attackers were provided in the report. The information available from officials indicated that the assault targeted the police team as it was returning from the anti-poppy operation.