South Waziristan: Two separate attacks in South Waziristan on Thursday resulted in the deaths of three children and injuries to several other people, according to security sources.
Reports said that an explosion occurred near a civilian settlement in the Gawa Khwa area of South Waziristan. In addition, mortar shells were also fired at civilians by Afghan Taliban forces in the border tehsil of Angoor Adda.
Security sources stated that the explosion took place after “Fitna al Khawarij hid cylinders filled with explosives near a house in a nearby settlement”.
They explained that “Fitna al Khawarij” is a term used by the state for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
As a result of the explosion, three children of the same family were killed and several others were injured. The victims included a 15-year-old boy and two girls aged eight and seven, according to security sources.
The injured were immediately shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital in Wana for medical treatment.
Local residents expressed deep grief and anger over the incident, stating that terrorists were once again targeting innocent and unarmed civilians.
Security sources further said that “khawarij elements have been targeting the general population, including children and women, in South Waziristan and surrounding areas in the past as well.”
They added that “khawarij and their facilitators are continuously shedding the blood of innocent civilians to achieve their nefarious goals; however, such cowardly attacks cannot dampen the morale of the people.”
In a separate incident in Angoor Adda, Afghan Taliban forces fired three mortar shells at a market near the Durand Line, injuring 10 people, according to security sources.
They said that “three mortar shells hit the Ghazi Rehman Hotel and nearby shops.”
The injured were immediately taken to the District Headquarters Hospital, where several were reported to be in critical condition.
Security sources described the attack as “not only a violation of international laws but also a clear violation of human rights.”
They further stated that “this aggression by the Afghan Taliban is the biggest threat to peace and stability in the region.”
They added that “the Afghan Taliban and their affiliated terrorist elements have repeatedly targeted civilians to achieve their objectives.”
Security sources also emphasized that “Pakistan’s priority is peace, stability, and relations based on mutual respect, but Pakistan’s commitment to the security of its borders and people is unwavering, and this is the hallmark of a responsible state.”
They noted that there has been a rise in terrorism in Pakistan since the Afghan Taliban took control of Kabul in 2021, and Islamabad has repeatedly urged the Taliban to dismantle terrorist safe havens on Afghan soil, particularly those linked to the banned TTP.
Officials said those concerns have not been addressed.
The military’s media wing stated last week that 13 Indian-sponsored terrorists were killed during two attempted infiltrations along the Pak-Afghan border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Last month, four terrorists were killed and a police constable was martyred in separate incidents in Lakki Marwat and Bannu districts.
Earlier in April, two children and a woman were killed and three others injured when mortar shells fired from across the Afghan border hit a house in Bajaur, according to security sources.