North Waziristan | Pakistan

As a sit-in against the deaths of four children in suspected quadcopter munitions drop continued for a second day in the Mir Ali tehsil of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s North Waziristan district, police said talks with local elders on the matter were underway. The suspected strike took place in Mir Ali’s Hurmuz village during the daytime, leaving four children of the same family dead and injuring five others, including a woman, according to sources. Both security forces and the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) are known to have been using quadcopters. North Waziristan District Police Officer Waqar Ahmad confirmed to Dawn.com that “negotiations are ongoing and results are awaited”. Before the talks began, Mir Ali Tehsildar Sher Bahadar said: “The representative jirga (council of elders) has just arrived, and we will devise a plan together before proceeding with negotiations with them.” Bahadar said he was leading a team in negotiating with the jirga members. While local authorities were investigating the incid...

NORTH WAZI­RIS­TAN: Four children were killed and five others, including a woman, injured in a suspected quadcopter munitions drop in Mir Ali tehsil of North Waziristan district on Monday. Sources told Dawn that the drone strike took place in Hurmuz village during day time, leaving four children of the same family dead and five others, including a woman, injured. The incident caused panic in the area. Locals shifted the injured to the Mir Ali hospital. Sources said some of the injured were in critical condition. Both security forces and outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan are known to have been using quadcopters. Area people, including tribal elders, youth and children later took to the streets after the incident and staged a sit-in at Mir Ali Chowk against the suspected quadcopter strikes. Some of them also carried placards inscribed with slogans against drone strikes. In a statement posted on social media, KP Minister for Relief Naik Muhammad Dawar condemned the attack and said the blood of innocent childre...

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Relief Minister Haji Nek Muhammad Dawar on Monday strongly condemned the deaths of three children and injuries to women from an alleged drone strike in the North Waziristan district. A post on his Facebook account said the alleged incident occurred in the district’s Hormuz village in Mir Ali tehsil. “I have already clearly said on the floor of the KP Assembly that all types of operations and war operations should be kept away from civilian populations, so that the common people, especially innocent women and children, are not harmed,” the post read. He later told Dawn.com: “We will raise our voice at every forum and make every effort to bring those responsible to justice.” The minister added that he stood with the affected family and would provide them with all possible assistance. He also ordered an immediate investigation and sought a detailed report from the institutions concerned. No official statement has been issued at the federal level yet or from provincial authorities. Jamiat Ulema...