Khyber Agency: One killed, four children injured in mortar attack

Children were asleep when the shell hit their room.

BARA: A man was killed and four children injured when mortar shells landed on two residences in Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency in the early hours of Monday.

According to an official of the political administration, a shell fired from an unidentified location landed at a house in Sheikhan area of Bara in which Muhammad Idrees, the owner of the house, was severely injured when the room he was sleeping in collapsed.

The official added that family members of the injured were taking him to a hospital in Peshawar, but he died on the way.

He added that he belonged to Sipah area of Bara and was living in a rented house.

The official further said that in another incident, four children were injured when a shell landed on a house in Zawa area in Akka Khel, adding that all the children were asleep when the shell hit their house. The shell landed on the house of Marwat Khan Akka Khel. The wounded were rushed to a hospital in Peshawar.

Due to the ongoing military operation against militants in the area, most tribesmen have vacated their houses and are now living in Jalozai Camp.

Residents have also demanded the government and security forces to take action against the firing of these shells, which have claimed many civilian lives.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 13^th, 2012.