Five children and a man were killed and at least 15 others injured, including four women, in two separate incidents on Saturday involving a mortar shell explosion and a quadcopter strike in the Langerkhel Surband and Shaikh Khula areas of Lakki Marwat district, Pakistan police said.
The first incident occurred on Saturday morning in the Langerkhel Surband area, where children playing in the fields discovered an unexploded mortar shell and brought it back to their village.
The device detonated as they played near a rainwater tank, killing five children aged between eight and 12, and injuring 13 others, including two women.
“The explosion left five children dead and 13 others, including two women, injured,” police said.
The deceased were identified as Zenat Bibi, daughter of Jhang Khan; Shaila Bibi, daughter of Naimatullah; Muzammil, son of Naimatullah; Rafiullah, son of Fatehullah; and Palwasha, daughter of Bankhan; all residents of Wanda Langerkhel Surband.
The injured included Luqman, Bilal, Shadan, Latifa Bibi, Mohsin, Fawad, Jamshed, Wajeeh, Riffat, Mumtaz Bibi (wife of Bankhan), Fatima Bibi (wife of Sattar), Ahmad, and Saqib, according to the police.
ASI Zafar Mehmood, the official in charge of Lakki City police post, said he with his team was on patrol duty when they learned of the incident and immediately reached the hospital.
Separately, a villager was killed and two women injured in a quadcopter strike in the Shaikh Khula area.
Police said Azizullah, 54, died instantly when an explosive device dropped from a quadcopter detonated at his home. His wife, Shaikhzad Bibi, 50, and daughter-in-law, Raj Bibi, 22, were injured in the blast. The police quoted Saadullah as saying that the explosive device dropped from a quadcopter detonated, resulting in the death of his father Azizullah.
The injured were taken to hospital by the villagers. Police have registered case under relevant sections of law in the city police station and launched investigation. (Dawn)