South Waziristan: Three Girls Killed in Suspected Quadcopter Attack
Three children were killed and four family members injured after a suspected quadcopter strike hit a house in Lower South Waziristan, with residents demanding an independent investigation.
Security personnel and rescue workers respond after a suspected quadcopter attack in South Waziristan.
South Waziristan witnessed a tragic incident early on Sunday after three girls were killed and four other members of the same family were injured in what local sources described as a suspected quadcopter attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lower South Waziristan district.
According to local sources, suspected munitions were dropped from a quadcopter drone onto a house in the Nargasi area of Birmal tehsil. The home reportedly belonged to a member of the Dinor subtribe.
The victims who lost their lives were three girls aged between six and 15 years. The injured include one woman and three young boys, all of whom sustained injuries of varying severity.
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Residents rushed to the scene immediately after the incident and carried out rescue efforts before transferring the injured to the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital in Wana. Hospital officials said the injured were receiving medical treatment and remained under observation.
Authorities have not yet issued an official statement regarding the incident. Officials have also not publicly confirmed the nature of the explosion, its cause or whether a quadcopter was involved.
The incident has left the local community in mourning, with residents expressing grief over the deaths of the children and calling for a transparent investigation to establish the facts surrounding the incident.
Local sources said similar suspected quadcopter-related incidents have previously been reported in several areas of Birmal tehsil, including Azam Warsak, Guldona Ghundai, Karmazi, Staff and Kalotai. Residents claim such incidents have resulted in civilian casualties and increased fear among local communities.
Residents also said the security situation in Lower South Waziristan has worsened over the past 18 months, citing a rise in bomb explosions, targeted killings, kidnappings for ransom, extortion and attacks on police and security personnel.
The latest incident follows several similar reports in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Earlier this week, a woman was killed and six members of her family were injured in a suspected drone strike in Pastawana village in Hassan Khel subdivision. In a separate incident in Bajaur, three people were killed and 10 others injured after police said a suspected quadcopter dropped an explosive device on a house. Last week, another suspected quadcopter attack in Bajaur’s War Mamund tehsil killed a child and injured a woman.
The recent incidents have intensified calls from residents for stronger security measures and a thorough investigation into the reported attacks to ensure the protection of civilians.
