3 girls killed, 4 injured in suspected quadcopter attack in South Waziristan

SOUTH WAZIRISTAN: Three girls were killed and four other members of the same family were injured in a suspected quadcopter attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s lower South Waziristan early on Sunday morning, according to local sources.

Munitions were suspected to have been dropped by a quadcopter drone on the house in the Nargasi area of Birmal tehsil, the sources said.

The incident reportedly occurred at the residence of a member of the Dinor subtribe. The deceased were identified as three girls aged between six and 15, while the injured include one woman and three young boys who sustained varying degrees of injuries.

Residents rushed to the scene immediately after the incident and launched rescue efforts before shifting the injured to the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital in Wana for medical treatment. Hospital sources said the victims were receiving treatment, while medical staff continued to monitor their condition.

No official statement has been issued by the relevant authorities as yet. Officials have also not publicly confirmed the nature of the incident, its cause, or any claim of responsibility for the reported strike.

The incident has cast a pall of grief over the area, with local residents expressing shock and sorrow over the loss of civilian lives. Members of the local community have called for a transparent investigation to establish the facts surrounding the incident and determine how it occurred.

According to local sources, similar alleged quadcopter drone incidents have previously been reported in several areas of Birmal tehsil, including Azam Warsak, Guldona Ghundai, Karmazi, Staff and Kalotai.

Local residents claim that such incidents have resulted in numerous casualties over time, contributing to growing fear and uncertainty among communities in the region.

Residents say the security situation in lower South Waziristan has deteriorated over the past one and a half years. They point to an increase in incidents of violence, including bomb explosions, targeted killings, kidnappings for ransom, extortion, and attacks on police and security personnel.

The reported rise in violence has heightened concerns among local communities, who have repeatedly urged the authorities to take effective measures to restore law and order and ensure the safety of civilians.

Earlier this week, a woman was killed and six other members of the same family were injured in a suspected drone strike in Pastawana, a village located in the mountainous terrain of Hassan Khel subdivision, around 50 miles south of Peshawar.

Separately, three people were killed and 10 others injured in an incident that police suspect involved the use of a quadcopter drone to drop a bomb on a house in KP’s Bajaur.

Last week, a child was killed and a woman injured in a suspected quadcopter attack in the War Mamund tehsil of Bajaur, according to police sources. ...