December 15, 2025
By Kaleem Ullah
LAHORE
A nine-year-old girl, Saima Bibi, was killed, and a six-year-old girl, Marwa Bibi, was injured after a mortar shell landed on their house in the Bakakhel area of District Bannu.
Following the incident, residents staged a protest on Monday morning, blocking the main Miranshah–Bannu Road and placing the body of the deceased girl on the road. Protesters demanded an immediate halt to mortar shell firing from a nearby security forces’ fort and justice for the victim.
One of the protest participants, Surat Khan Wazir, told Voicepk over the phone that mortar shelling into civilian areas has become routine over the past month. He claimed that the shells were being fired from the nearby Dray Ghondori fort.
“Three days earlier, a mortar shell landed on a house, but fortunately, there was no loss of life, though one room was damaged. Another shell fell near a cricket ground. This time, however, the shell landed inside a house, killing a young girl and injuring another,” he said.
Speaking about the protesters’ demands, Surat Khan said residents want an end to indiscriminate mortar shelling in residential areas. “We are not saying that security forces should not use mortars during operations against militants, but such weapons should not be fired into civilian neighborhoods. We are also demanding justice for the deceased girl,” he added.
A jirga comprising local elders was formed to negotiate with the administration. Masoom Wazir, chairman of the Mamandkhel tribe and a member of the negotiating jirga, told Voicepk while heading to talks that the mortar shell had come from a nearby security forces’ fort and landed on a house in Qamarqali village.
“We are participating in the jirga to demand justice for the victim’s family and to put an end to mortar shelling and quadcopter drone strikes,” he said, warning that the protest would be prolonged along with the body of the deceased girl if their demands were not met.
Local residents expressed deep grief and anger over the incident, demanding that those responsible be identified and held accountable to prevent such tragedies from recurring.
However, official sources stated that a mortar shell fired from an unknown direction landed at Joint Chowk in the Jonaai area and exploded, killing nine-year-old Saima Bibi and injuring six-year-old Marwa Bibi.
Officials said the injured child was immediately shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital, where she is currently undergoing treatment. They added that an investigation has been launched to determine the origin of the mortar shell.
Later in the evening, the protest was called off following successful negotiations with the local administration, after authorities accepted the protesters’ demands.
It is worth noting that Bannu district and its surrounding areas have recorded the highest number of police casualties in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According to a recent report released by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police, a total of 1,588 terrorist incidents occurred across the province this year, resulting in the deaths of 223 civilians and injuries to 570 others.
The report states that 137 police personnel were killed and 236 were injured in these incidents, while 18 personnel from other law enforcement agencies also lost their lives. Additionally, 124 personnel of the Federal Constabulary were killed, and 244 were injured. During various operations this year, 348 militants were killed.
The highest number of terrorism-related cases—394 in total—were registered in the Bannu region. In Bannu alone, 41 police personnel were killed, and 89 were injured, while 54 civilians were killed and 125 were injured.
In the Dera Ismail Khan region, 152 cases were registered, and 137 militants were killed. In North Waziristan, 181 cases were recorded, resulting in the deaths of 38 civilians and injuries to 182 others. Meanwhile, 103 cases were registered in South Waziristan, where 39 civilians were killed, and 86 were injured.