PESHAWAR: A suspected drone strike killed one child and injured five others in a remote village of Pakistan’s South Waziristan district on Friday, triggering protests by local residents who demanded greater security and clarity from the authorities.
The incident took place in the Dashka settlement near Makeen, a mountainous region that is part of the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan. Local officials said the origin of the drone was still unknown, but the strike has renewed concerns following a similar attack last month in nearby North Waziristan that killed four children and sparked days of demonstrations.
“The attack took place at around 11:30 a.m.,” Abdul Qadir, a senior police officer in the district, told Arab News over the phone. “The children, aged between four and 11, were immediately rushed to Razmak Hospital for emergency medical treatment.”
Reacting to the development, Asif Khan Mehsud, a provincial lawmaker from the area, said his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Party (PTI) had consistently opposed drone strikes on Pakistani soil, labeling them a gross violation of human rights.
“This reckless attack on innocent civilians must be investigated,” he added.
