Woman, four children killed in mortar strike
A tragic incident occurred in the North Waziristan tribal district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) on Wednesday, resulting in the loss of a mother and her four children after a mortar shell struck their home.
Two other family members were critically injured in the incident, which happened in the Garyom area of the district.
The devastating event took place in Arsal Kot village, Garyom, situated within the Razmak subdivision.
Local residents told The Express Tribune a mortar shell hit the residence of a local tribesman named Noor Gul early in the morning. The sheer force of the impact claimed the lives of Noor Gul’s wife and four children, named Resham, Janshada, Mujahid, and Noor Kalam.
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They perished on the spot as their room bore the brunt of the mortar’s explosion.
Two other children, who sustained critical injuries, were transported to a local hospital. Their condition was described as serious, and they were subsequently moved to Khalifa Gul Nawaz Hospital in Bannu for further medical attention.
As authorities began to investigate the incident, it remained unclear who was responsible for firing the mortar shells.
Regrettably, civilian casualties have occurred in the past in the two Waziristan districts as well. In June 2013, twin sisters named Waja and Wajeeha Hassan lost their lives when a mortar shell struck their house in Darpa Khel village of Miranshah, North Waziristan.
During this unfortunate incident, unidentified militants had opened fire at Amin check post in Miranshah around 2:00 am, prompting security forces to retaliate. Tragically, this crossfire claimed the lives of two innocent individuals, while nine other houses sustained damage.
Noor Shah, a grieving father, recounted how his twin daughters were buried beneath the wreckage of their home.
Despite the intense gunfire and curfew, courageous neighbors attempted to rescue the girls, but their condition had deteriorated beyond hope.
In January 2013, three people lost their lives, and three others were injured when mortar shells, fired from an unknown direction, landed on civilian residences near Machis Camp in Miramshah, the principal town of North Waziristan.
The recent tragedy followed a roadside bomb blast that killed a Frontier Work Organisation (FWO) worker and left three others injured.
This incident led the local authorities to impose a curfew in Miramshah and its surrounding areas, which was eventually lifted at 7:30 pm. Following the mortar attack, security forces encircled the Machis Camp area and initiated a search operation, supported by artillery and helicopter gunships. Among the deceased were a woman, a teenager, and an Afghan citizen, while the three injured individuals were transported to the Agency Headquarters Hospital.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 7th, 2023.