16 militants involved in the attack have been identified. PHOTO: REUTERS/FILE
"All of them are locals. Ten are residents of the Diamer Valley, three are from Mansehra and the rest are from Kohistan," said police chief Usman Zakaria.
Addressing press officials in the chief minister office with chief secretary Gilgit Baltistan Munir Ahmad Badini, Zakaria said that it's a breakthrough for the law enforcing agencies who have been working tirelessly to resolve the case.
"There are reports that the assailants had been trained in FATA and had ties with certain banned militant outfits," said chief secretary G-B.
The names of the outfits will become known once the culprits are caught and investigated, he said.
"We also want to give credit to Diamer Jirga who proved instrumental in identifying the militants,” Badini said, adding that the militants were still in the valley and believed to be in groups of two of three.
Zakaria said that members of the jirga were flown in via army helicopters so that they could help divulge information related to the location of the accused.
Gunmen dressed as paramilitary forces killed 10 foreign tourists on June 23 in an unprecedented attack in the Himalayas of Gilgit-Baltistan. The gunmen stormed into a base camp, killing Chinese and Ukrainian climbers in an area of the far-flung north not previously associated with violence or militancy.
COMMENTS (33)
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Good work, but frankly, I can't digest the news of identifying people and arresting the real culprits.
I give credit to the local people mostly from the G-B who have always known there were religious sectarian extremists from Mansehra and Kohistan, more coming from FATA and elsewhere, and have suffered atrocities by their hands. They were always under constant threat due to their different religious and ideological backgrounds, but the authorities, be it out of prejudice, fear, sympathy or outright support, looked the other way on all these militants and the plight of the native local people.
Because this became an international event, the local authorities had no choice but to do something.
Shows if administration shows resolve, everybody including common man comes out to help,and cases get resolved
@Anon, Raj,and Deepwater: The reason why a lot of militants and criminals commit crimes against innocent Pakistanis is due to the support and money they get from foreign agencies. If you recall, even the US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said that India uses Afghanistan as a base for criminal activities against Pakistan. Obviously these criminals- even if they are local would have money and backing from outside agencies when they chose to attack innocent foreign climbers. The reason they want to destroy tourism and investment in Pakistan is to please the foreign agencies which are trying to destablize Pakistan.
Pakistan should condemn the killlings of innocent muslims in clear terms.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-23050288 Violence in China's Xinjiang 'kills 27'
What??? not RAW agents????
@Raj. Sh. Rasheed is one person. He is not Pakistani media as was implied in the comment.
As usual the heart of this story is lost the Indians & Pakistani are point the finger & throwing accusations at each other. I see the rare message of condolonces for the victim families and the country of origin should not matter. So all of you should be ashamed of yourselves any senseless killings should have ZERO tolerance. I think Indians need not take pleasure that this happened in Pakistan you have your own problems like sexual violation of women, no basic sanitary conditions for the Indian masses. So clean up issues that affect your country you are not quite there. I think Pakistanis should put pressure on your authorities where the culprits should be given the death sentence so others are deterred from these acts of violence that has become a norm for the nation.
Only when these terrorists are prosecuted and are in jail will we know for sure that justice has prevailed. Until then all reports are HOT air......
@Raj - USA: Sheikh Rasheed said in his speech in the Assembly that India and its agents are behind this
You will be banned if you speak the truth and back it with facts. :)
I hope these terrorists get arrested and executed soon.
The most noteworthy item is the cooperation of the locals. If rest of the Pakistanis stay vigilant and cooperate with the security agencies, we can eliminate terrorism from Pakistan.
@MHJ
So if the hidden hands didn't do it then the hidden hands must have funded it. In other words, no matter what the evidence some of you guys will believe what you are hardwired for. Those text books you were taught in your formative years really did a good job.
Why would they disclose the identity of the Jirga? So someone ca take out the Jirga in G-B as they took out all the Jirgas in KPK?
“We also want to give credit to Diamer Jirga who proved instrumental in identifying the militants,” Badini said
Wake up conspiracy theory nation of Pakistan.....where is India, and other foreign hands theory.....you guys need to eliminate the menace of religious extremism, these extremists are spreading like zombies and effected peaceful areas and peace loving people of Gilgit-Baltistan.
@Shah:
@Anon says: Anon
I thought they were Indian as the Pakistani media was claiming that India was behind all of this………
You reply:
Shah
Gud progress.. @Anon: Where u heard such claims? unfortunately v dont have anythng like TOI
Sheikh Rasheed said in his speech in the Assembly that India and its agents are behind this.
Good progress made but all of them should be arrested and brought to justice.
guys they have been identified not caught yet. Nonetheless credit is given to the authorities.
@all indians: My friends in denial; lets wait till some one being arrested and confess about the funding of this act, although we know it very well.
@Shah:
"Where u heard such claims? unfortunately v dont have anythng like TOI"
Well, that's good for you.
Because, only 1.2 billion Indian fools can celebrate a tabloid like TOI as a news paper. What a pity!
Really? Not one Hindian?
I am shocked beyond belief.
Punish harder the local betrayals, who maligned the image of this peaceful land and their own people....This trend will set a trend for rest of region and whole country.
Huh? What happened to Indian conspiracy to hurt tourism?
"FEETS" :O lolz
This is likely the same gang that removed Shia from bus near Chilas last year and shot them dead but because the state did nothing, they were encouraged and killed these tourists this year.
The only reason agencies have shown some urgency against their own strategic assets, is the nationality of the victims. If there were no Chinese involved among those killed, then it would have been business as usual and finger pointing at the foreign hands.
For the Pakistan state only Saudis and Chinese qualify as humans, and all other people, including Pakistanis themselves, are subhuman.
Gud progress..
@Anon: Where u heard such claims? unfortunately v dont have anythng like TOI
who else noticed the 'feets' on the signboard?
I thought they were Indian as the Pakistani media was claiming that India was behind all of this.........
they should be killed the same way they killed innocent souls.
They must have fled to the epicenter of terror by now, which happens to Afghanistan. Also, I must appreciate the determination shown by the authorities in capturing these people. Had similar determination been shown in other cases, these terrorists would be cowering in fear.
Now that's solid progress. There are thousands of family in that region who rely solely on tourism. And with those people cooperation, very soon the culprits will be apprehended. Let's do some democracy to these terrorirsts y0!
That's incredible. That proves one thing that if government desires, no criminal can escape after committing crime. Why the culprits of violence in the rest of country can't be apprehended?? Your guess is as good as mine.