December 12, 2025
By Kaleem Ullah
LAHORE
An unexploded drone-fired mortar shell detonated inside a madrassah in North Waziristan, one of the merged districts of southern Khyber Pukhtunkhwa (KP), on December 10, killing two children and injuring 14 others in the Issori area of Mir Ali.
Radio Free Europe’s Pashto service, Mashaal Radio, quoted intelligence sources claiming that “a mosque was hit by a missile fired from an unknown drone,” which caused the casualties among the children.
An official source, confirming the incident on condition of anonymity, said the blast occurred on December 10 near the madrassa in Issori, but did not clarify the nature of the munition or who had dropped it.
A local resident, Fida Dawar, told Voicepk that the incident occurred at 2:15 pm as children were leaving Madressah Shams-ul-Quran in Sher Mohammad Kot village after their religious lessons. According to him, the children found the projectile lying in a nearby field and began playing with it when it exploded.
Another resident, Shafi Ullah, said the boys had picked up the unexploded missile and carried it into the madrassa building, where it detonated, killing and injuring children aged between six and twelve. Among the injured were three minor girls.
Fida Dawar further added that quadcopter drones frequently fly over the area, and the problem, he said, is that once drones are loaded with ammunition, “they have to drop it somewhere because they cannot be unloaded again.”
Military authorities have not yet formally responded to local claims. Police and residents say the injured were shifted to hospitals in Mir Ali and Bannu, where many remain in critical condition.
Escalating drone strikes and lack of government response
In the tenure of former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, the provincial government frequently took up such cases and would demand accountability from the military in the wake of the protests from the local—on several occasions— it also compensated victims publicly. However, under the current Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, there is little public indication of responsibility or calls for accountability in media appearances or press briefings.
Alamzaib Mehsud, a social activist and researcher from South Waziristan working on landmines, enforced disappearances, and quadcopter strikes, said, “Previously, anti-personnel landmines planted in the areas were killing and maiming people. Now these drone strikes have become a new kind of landmine. Many times the ammunition doesn’t explode and remains in the fields or near homes, where children pick it up, play with it, or try to move it, and then it explodes, taking their lives.”
Maulana Misbahuddin, the elected MNA from North Waziristan belonging to JUI-F, expressed deep concern over the incident, writing on Facebook that the “martyrdom of innocent civilians in drone copter strikes, the unjustified arrests of unarmed citizens during continuous raids, and the alarming resurgence of insecurity are all matters of grave concern.”
He said he and fellow party workers held a detailed meeting with JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, during which they discussed public safety, the conduct of state institutions, the negative impacts of ongoing operations, and strategies for achieving lasting peace.
In recent months, quadcopter drone attacks have sharply risen across Pakistan’s tribal belt and adjoining regions. According to data compiled by Voicepk, more than 50 civilians have been killed and over 175 injured—most of them children—since April this year.
Schools under attack as violence expands
Beyond drone strikes, landmines, and clashes between armed groups and security forces, the region’s education sector is also under sustained assault.
This Monday, unidentified militants blew up a government primary school in the Khushali area of Ayaz Kot. Officials say the attackers planted explosives inside the building and detonated them around midnight. The powerful blast, audible from several miles away, destroyed a large portion of the school.
Education authorities confirmed that more than 600 students were enrolled, and it was the only functioning primary school in the locality. The damaged structure has been sealed, and an emergency plan for alternative learning arrangements is under consideration.
The school attack sparked widespread condemnation from rights activists and former legislators. National Democratic Movement chairman and ex-MNA Mohsin Dawar wrote on X, “Taliban terrorists have blown up a government high school in Ayaz Kot, Mir Ali. ‘Project Taliban’ remains the biggest threat to the future of our children and our region.”
Ziauddin Yousafzai, father of Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, also condemned the attack, writing, “Our children can’t keep losing their schools. No classroom should be reduced to rubble.” He urged authorities to ensure protection for every school and to rebuild Ayaz Kot High School immediately.
The incident mirrors earlier attacks in the district. In May last year, a private girls’ school in Tehsil Shewa—Aafia Islamic School—was destroyed by unidentified militants. At the time, UNICEF strongly condemned the attack, calling it a hateful and cowardly act that threatened the future of many talented girls.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also condemned the attack and ordered the damaged portion to be rebuilt at government expense. However, the school’s owner, Bahadur Khan, later said he never received the promised funds. He was ultimately forced to permanently close the only private school for girls in the area, due to both security concerns and lack of financial support.