October 23, 2025
By Kaleem Ullah
LAHORE
The Patwalai Borakai area of tehsil Ladha in Upper South Waziristan, saw what seemed like yet another drone strike on Thursday, which ended up claiming the lives of 65 year old Mir Hasan Langarkhel and his 14 year old daughter Razia Mehsud. The man was the brother of a tribal elder, Malik Maibel Khan Langarkhel, from the area of Borakai Langarkhel.
Alamzeb Mehsud, a social activist from Ladha, while speaking to Voicepk, confirmed the incident, identifying it as a drone attack. He said that “most residents had already left the area due to the worsening security situation and migrated to Tank District in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, and even to Karachi and other parts of the country. Only three to four families had remained in the village, including Mir Hasan’s. Even though his family currently lived in Karachi, Mir Hasan who loved his home-town, despite the insecurity, refused to leave. He stayed in the area with his young daughter and looked after their livestock.”
Speaking to Voicepk, Mir Hasan’s grandson, Hikmatullah, said that his grandfather was never willing to abandon his home. “He had only one passion — he kept dozens of goats, sheep, and cows, which he tended to every day,” Hikmatullah shared.
“Late last night, while everyone in the house was asleep, Mir Hasan must have heard the sound of a drone hovering above so out of fear, he and his daughter left the house for a safer spot in the nearby forest,” he said recalling the incident. “It was then that the drone strike occurred, killing both Mir Hasan and his daughter, Razia, on the spot.”
In contrast to local accounts, police have attributed the deaths of Malik Mir Hasan and his daughter, Razia, to an explosion caused by explosive material inside the house. In a statement shared with journalists via WhatsApp, associated with the Ladha police said that, according to preliminary information, Malik Mir Hasan’s brother, Mohibullah alias Maibel, was affiliated with “Fitna-e-Khawarij” — a term often used for militant groups.
However, a native to the area Gohar Mehsud, who is the founder of the digital outlet Mizha News and a native of the area, disagreed with the police’s version. He stated, “While the administration has not officially issued a statement about the incident, the police are claiming it was caused by an explosion inside the house, and security sources have described it as a drone strike carried out by the Taliban.”
According to Gohar, residents believe that the fragments and shells found at the site indicate the use of an advanced missile, suggesting it could have been fired by security forces. They argue that there appears to be no apparent reason for the Taliban to carry out such an attack in the area.
It is worth mentioning that four months earlier, in June, a similar incident occurred in Dashka village, where children were playing outside a local shop near a school when a drone descended to a low altitude. Upon seeing it, the children began chasing the drone, which suddenly dropped ammunition on them, killing one and injuring five others aged between five and eleven years.
In a separate incident of targeted killing in North Waziristan’s neighboring district, six people were killed when unidentified gunmen ambushed a vehicle in Mir Ali tehsil on Wednesday. The attack took place near Api village, where a car carrying six passengers was fired upon by unknown assailants. All occupants were killed instantly. According to sources, the attackers then poured petrol on the vehicle and set it ablaze, leaving the bodies severely burned.
District Police Officer Waqar Ahmed confirmed the incident, stating that the attackers managed to flee after the assault. He added that the charred bodies were taken to Mir Ali Hospital for identification, which has not yet been established.