3 policemen killed in northern Pakistan after concluding operation against poppy cultivation

At least three police personnel were killed and four others injured after gunmen opened fire on their vehicle in northern Pakistan, officials told Anadolu on Monday.

The attack took place over the weekend in Diamer district of Gilgit-Baltistan, according to regional government spokesman Shabbir Mir.

The injured included a deputy superintendent of police, he added.

The police team had been returning from a two-day operation to destroy poppy crops spread across a large area when they came under attack.

Pakistani authorities say large-scale anti-narcotics operations are underway against poppy cultivation.

Raw opium is processed into heroin, a highly addictive narcotic that is trafficked globally and consumed in various illicit forms.