Pakistani Forces Seize Weapons, Arrest 18 People in Gilgit

Pakistani security forces have arrested at least 18 people and seized more than 300 weapons during an operation against illegal arms in the remote northern city of Gilgit.

A government administrator in the region (Nadeem Manzoor) says the army, paramilitary troops and police began the house-to-house search late Friday. He says searches will continue until the city is free of all illegal weapons.

The operation came more than a week after unidentified gunmen ambushed and killed a former regional police chief near Gilgit.

In January, the killing of a minority Shi'ite Muslim cleric in the city sparked sectarian violence that left some 15 people dead.