May 29, 2025
By Kaleem Ullah
LAHORE
Twenty two (22) people were injured in yet another incident of a drone strike – this time in the area of Azam Warsak, at Karamzi Stop, Upper South Waziristan. The attack occurred near a volleyball match being played by local residents.
Eyewitness Adnan Khan, sits on the hospital bed tending to his brother, who was injured by the drone strike. “My brother was selling ice in the bazaar near the volleyball court, when the drone appeared and hovered overhead for around 30 minutes before it struck,” he says sadly. “Seven members of my family were injured, and two of them have been transferred to Dera Ismail Khan.”
He appeals to the government.
“We are only trying to earn a living to support our families. The government should spare us so that we and our loved ones can eat and live in peace.”
An incident report issued by the District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) Wana says that the drone strike took place at approximately 8 PM, and resulted in injuries to 22 individuals, ranging in age from 13 to 60 years.
The condition of a 13-year-old boy and one adult man was reported as “serious,” and both were referred to a tertiary care facility. Seven people, including three individuals aged 15, 18, and 19, sustained major injuries. The remaining 13 victims had minor injuries, with two of them discharged after treatment.
Still, security forces in a statement denied reports regarding the quadcopter strike, declaring them completely false and fabricated. According to them, no quadcopter munition was dropped in the area.
Innocent civilians
Speaking to Voicepk, Zubair Khan Wazir, Member of National Assembly (MNA) from Lower South Waziristan that the incident occurred in Birmal Tehsil, in a village located about 25 kilometers from the district center of Wana. He explained that residents were playing volleyball when a quadcopter dropped a bomb on them, injuring 22 individuals. “Three to four people are in critical condition and are being transferred to Dera Ismail Khan,” he added.
“This new trend of drone strikes is severely affecting our area,” the MNA said. “These strikes do not target actual militants; instead, innocent civilians are being killed and injured.”
In a Facebook post, MNA Zubair Khan Wazir strongly condemned the drone strike, saying that innocent civilians had been targeted. He called on the federal government and relevant institutions to “immediately investigate the incident, provide justice to the affected families, and take swift and effective steps to prevent such attacks in the future.”
“Targeting ordinary citizens under the pretext of attacking a Taliban post is extremely regrettable, shameful, and unacceptable,” Wazir stated, calling the strike “part of a heinous conspiracy to sabotage regional peace.”
Wazir further added, “I have spoken to intelligence agencies regarding this incident. They acknowledged it and expressed deep regret. Moreover, during this Eid, I convened a jirga of local elders on the issue of drone strikes, and whatever decision is made there, the nation will stand firmly behind it.”
Border area
The location of the attack lies just 14 kilometers from the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. According to local residents, there is a heavy presence of militants in the area, and locals avoid going outside after dusk.
Reports suggest that this was the seventh drone strike in May alone, which have collectively killed eight people and injured 50. A breakdown of the injuries reveals that among the injured were 15 women, 12 male children, and one female child. Among the deceased were four male children, three adult men, and one woman.
Earlier, another drone strike in the Hurmaz area of North Waziristan claimed the lives of four children. In response, locals staged an eight-day sit-in with the bodies of the deceased, demanding justice. The protest ended after an agreement was reached with the local and military administration. According to organizers of the Mir Ali sit-in, they were given a written assurance that drone strikes would no longer target civilian populations.
However, the military’s media wing, ISPR, issued a statement regarding that incident, claiming that security forces were “falsely implicated” and that the attack had actually been carried out by the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The TTP, however, has not issued any statement on the matter.
Khushal Khan, the cabinet member of National Democratic movement, on a question that why is these attacks happening in the area told voicepk that there is no transperancy and accountability on the state level regarding such attacks, “The problem in these areas is that there is virtually no reporting, as neither journalists nor political activists can move about freely. Although these regions are now officially part of the province, there is still no discussion about them in the provincial cabinet, nor has the federal government issued any policy statement regarding the issue”
While referring to the North Waziristan negotiations agreement, he said that “the state must clarify what exactly is happening. The details of the negotiations that took place in North Waziristan have still not been made public. It was the responsibility of the provincial government to present the demands and outline a plan for their implementation”.
He further added, “If these attacks are being carried out by the Taliban as is told, then how did they manage to build such capacity to conduct them? The very group that has been the target of military operations for years—if it is now capable of launching such strikes—then it clearly indicates that the state and the government have failed to protect the people”.
The Joint Political Peace Alliance of South Waziristan termed the incident “regrettable and a cause of public unrest” and called for legal action against those responsible. In a statement, the JPPA leaders said public cooperation was vital for maintaining peace in the region and such incidents risked eroding the trust of local youth and civilians.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan also showed deep concern over the recent drone and quadcopter strikes in different areas across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
“This is a tragic indictment of the region’s persistent insecurity. Local residents allege that ordinary people become collateral damage in such incidents. HRCP demands an urgent and transparent investigation into such repeated incidents and calls on the state to prioritize civilian protection in conflict-affected regions.”