Drone attack injures 3 at Bajaur match

ISLAMABAD:

At least three people were injured in a terrorist drone attack on a cricket ground in the Mamund area of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa's Bajaur district on Friday, according to state media.

According to state broadcaster PTV News, the attack was carried out using a quadcopter in the Shahi Tangi area of Mamund tehsil while a cricket match was in progress. The injured were immediately taken to a hospital for treatment.

It said that a press release issued by the Bajaur deputy commissioner said that over the past two months, mortar shells had been fired from the Afghan side into various border areas of the district, particularly Mamund and Slarzai.

It added that firing by the Afghan Taliban on the civilian population in Bajaur had resulted in the martyrdom of nine people, including three women and six children.

Local sources said quadcopters were being used to target civilians to spread fear and panic, adding that video evidence of such incidents had surfaced previously. They said the attack was deliberately timed during the cricket match.

"Such attacks reflect an inability to confront security forces directly, with civilians being targeted instead," the state broadcaster said, while adding that public anger was growing due to repeated incidents against civilian populations.

Following the incident, security in the area was placed on high alert. Security forces cordoned off the site and launched a search operation to track down those involved.

"Security forces are conducting an effective response against such attacks, targeting militant positions and supporting infrastructure," PTV News reported.

Tribal elders and residents strongly condemned the attack and demanded the complete elimination of terrorists to ensure public safety.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar condemned today's incident.

"The inhuman violent spate of deliberate targeting of innocent civilians by Afghans Taliban regime in border districts of K-P is unacceptable, insidious and reflective of their barbaric nature towards human life. Resorting to targeting civilian areas after being comprehensively beaten on ground by proud security forces of Pakistan and having no courage to face them is not only despicable but also speaks volumes of the low moral character of the regime leaders."

He said the Taliban regime's "so-called representatives continue to lay frivolous false allegations of deliberate targeting of civilians by Pakistan".

Tarar said it was "reported with a lot of clarity and evidence that Pakistan targets only terrorist infrastructure and information has been always promptly and transparently shared with the public, whenever Pakistan targets terrorist hideouts and support infrastructure under areas controlled by Afghan Taliban regime, while taking great care for any sort of civilian damage".