Sectarian Violence: Man injured in firing incident

GILGIT:

A man was injured when armed men opened fire at him near Yadgar area on late Sunday, the police and witnesses said on Monday.

Intikhab Alam, an employee of the health department, was on his way to a mosque for Taraweeh prayers when unknown men opened fire at him, said local residents, adding that the gunmen fled from the scene right after the incident.

The tragic incident triggered panic across the city, which has been afflicted by sectarian flare ups for several years. The injured was rushed to a nearby hospital, where his condition was initially listed as critical. However, his condition has improved on Monday.

The police said that Alam was hit by a bullet in his stomach. They admitted the Yadgar area has witnessed many such incidents over time, despite the presence of dozens of security personnel at check posts.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 23^rd, 2011.