“Militants fired four mortar shells from the Khyber Agency side to target FC headquarters, but all the shells landed in residential houses nearby, causing considerable damage,” says police. PHOTO: FILE
PESHAWAR:
A child was killed and five people, including a police constable, were injured when four mortar shells landed in Phase 6, Hayatabad on Friday.
Nabi, an internally displaced child from Bara, Khyber Agency was killed, while four-year-old Sana, constable Farhatullah, Farhat Bibi, Sajid and Muhammad Irshad were injured as a result, said a Tatara police official. Four houses were also damaged in the incident.
The injured were rushed to the Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC), where they are said to be in stable condition.
“Militants fired four mortar shells from the Khyber Agency side to target the Frontier Corps (FC) headquarters, but all the shells landed in residential houses nearby, causing considerable damage,” said the police official.
FC personnel returned fire in retaliation using long-range mortar battery, striking militant hideouts inside the tribal areas. The resulting explosions from mortar guns caused panic in the area, but police clarified paramilitary forces were fighting the militants.
On Friday morning, clashes erupted in Tirah, killing four security personnel and 14 militants until this report was filed. It is unclear whether the mortar shells were fired in retaliation to the Tirah clashes. However, there have been frequent incidents of shells being fired in Hayatabad, which neighbours Bara tehsil, Khyber Agency.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 6th, 2013.
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