December 30, 2025
By Kaleem Ullah
LAHORE
A mortar shell killed a 50 year old woman and injured four children after it landed in Drozanda village in the Alamkhel market in the Sheewa tehsil Sheewa of North Waziristan.
According to residents, the incident occurred when militants opened fire on security personnel who had left their posts and were moving through the area. In response, security forces began firing mortar shells into the vicinity.
Speaking to Voicepk, Laiq Mansoori, a relative of the affected family, said that the incident occurred yesterday afternoon at around one pm.
“At the time, Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel deployed for security had left their check posts and were near the Faqir Mosque when militants fired at them,” said Mansoori. “After that, security forces began firing mortars into the area from nearby posts. One of the shells landed inside the house of my uncle, Haji Shireen Yar Khan, injuring him. His wife—who had just returned from the fields with fodder and was feeding the animals—was killed on the spot. Additionally, about eight animals, including cows and sheep, were killed.”
He further explained that as villagers gathered to assist the victims and transport the injured to the hospital, a second mortar shell landed on a neighbouring house approximately one hour later. Children playing nearby were injured in this second blast. They were rushed to Tal Hospital, where doctors declared them out of danger and later discharged them. Mansoori added that the shelling also damaged vehicles in the nearby Alamkhel Market in the Spinwaam tehsil.
Rising incidents and local concerns
Ismail Wazir, a local social activist and coordinator for the proscribed Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM), an organization working for human rights and against militancy in the province, claimed that according to their compiled data, this marks the 22nd incident involving quadcopter attacks or mortar shelling in the past month alone. These incidents have resulted in property damage and over 16 injuries, affecting government employees and the families of retired security personnel. Wazir notes that it is the women and children are the most affected in these attacks.
While militants are known to operate in Spinwam and periodically attack security forces, residents argue that retaliatory mortar fire and quadcopter strikes often miss their targets, causing civilian casualties instead. Maazullah, a resident, expressed the community’s frustration, “We are not safe even in our own homes. Our elders have held more than seven jirgas with the local Taliban to seek peace, but these efforts have failed. Meanwhile, security forces are failing to hit their primary targets, and civilians are becoming the casualties.”
Pattern of violence
Earlier this month, on December 10, two friends from Zalukhel village were injured near the banks of the Kurram stream at sundown. Allegedly, a quadcopter appeared and dropped explosives on them. Both were seriously injured and treated at Dawaba Hospital.
As of now, the North Waziristan local administration and the military have not commented on the specific incident or the claims made by Spinwam residents. In the past, however, authorities have maintained that civilian protection is a priority during operations.
Future course of action
Public outcry over civilian casualties and property damage has led to frequent protests across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Consequently, the residents of Spinwam have scheduled a meeting with area elders tomorrow to determine a roadmap for future action. Separately, the Utmanzai Jirga announced on December 19 that it will hold a gathering titled “Aman Pasoon” (Peace Uprising) on January 2 to protest against insecurity, targeted killings, and the impact of clashes on the civilian population.