A drone strike on a madrasa in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province injured nine children, including three girls. The attack triggered widespread protests led by local clerics, demanding accountability. Police have launched an investigation but no group has claimed responsibility yet.
A drone strike on a madrasa in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province left nine children injured, officials said on Friday. As per reports, the incident took place at a religious seminary located in Shadikhel village of Tank district, where the drone targeted the premises at a time when children were in their classrooms. Among the injured were three girls and six boys.
Who carried out the attack?
Authorities said the identity of those behind the drone strike has not yet been determined. Rescue 1122 teams reached the spot and shifted the injured children to the District Headquarters Hospital in Tank. Hospital officials confirmed that all the injured were out of danger. Police have begun an investigation while no group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far. Following the strike, local residents, led by clerics, staged a protest at the main chowk of Tank district. They condemned the targeting of a madrasa and described the attack as a brutal act.
Protests bring district to a halt
The protest affected major roads, halting traffic for several hours while markets also remained shut. District Police Officer Shabbir Hussain visited the protest site to manage the situation and held talks with the clerics. Later, DPO Hussain along with Additional Deputy Commissioner Naimatullah and Assistant Commissioner Sajid Khan engaged with the protestors. The demonstration was temporarily suspended after discussions. Protestors demanded that the administration take the incident seriously and ensure strict action against those responsible.
4 children injured in quadcopter attackย
In a similar incident on Wednesday, at least four children were injured when a quadcopter dropped an explosive payload on a residential area in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, news agency PTI reported citing official sources. The incident occurred in the Gondalabad area of Kurram district, where three boys and a girl sustained injuries. The wounded children were immediately shifted to a nearby medical facility for treatment. Officials said militant groups in the region have increasingly resorted to using quadcopters to carry out attacks, particularly by dropping improvised explosive devices.
ALSO READ:ย ‘Junta with nuclear weapons’: When Putin expressed ‘concerns’ over Pakistan during conversation with Bush