GILGIT: At least three police officers were killed on Monday when unidentified gunmen opened fire during an operation against illegal poppy cultivation in Pakistan’s northern Gilgit-Baltistan region, officials said.
Authorities said police were conducting an operation in the Thore valley of Diamer district to destroy illicit poppy fields when they came under attack.
Gilgit-Baltistan government spokesperson Shabbir Mir said around five to six armed suspects used automatic weapons to target the police team while the operation was underway.
“As a result of the attack, three police jawans embraced martyrdom and several others were injured,” Mir told Arab News.
Rescue official Shaukat Riaz said the bodies and four injured personnel were shifted to the Regional Headquarters Hospital in Diamer.
He said all injured personnel were in stable condition.
Officials said illegal poppy cultivation remains a persistent challenge in the region, driven by economic hardship, limited crop alternatives, and the presence of trafficking networks. Rugged terrain also hampers enforcement efforts in remote areas.
Mir said additional police contingents reached the area after the attack and launched a search operation for the assailants. He added that a formal investigation would follow.
