Wana: At least 22 people, including seven children, were injured in a suspected quadcopter (drone) strike in Wana, the administrative center of South Waziristan district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to a report released by the District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ).
The incident reportedly occurred around 8:00 PM on Tuesday. The DHQ report confirmed injuries to individuals ranging in age from 13 to 60. One 13-year-old boy and another individual are said to be in critical condition. Seven of the injured children, aged between 15 and 19, sustained serious injuries, while 13 others suffered minor wounds—two of whom have already been discharged from the hospital.
According to Member of the National Assembly (MNA) Zubair Khan Wazir, affiliated with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, the drone attack targeted a group of young people who were playing volleyball at the time. He stated that following the strike, fear and panic spread throughout the community, with residents confining themselves to their homes.
In a strongly worded Facebook post, MNA Wazir condemned the attack, calling it a brutal assault on innocent civilians. He urged the federal government and relevant authorities to launch an immediate investigation and provide justice and compensation to the affected families. He also demanded urgent and effective measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
This attack follows a similar incident on May 19 in North Waziristan’s Mir Ali area, where a suspected drone strike in the village of Harmuz killed four children from a single family and injured five others, including a woman. That incident led to local protests, with residents staging a sit-in against the attack.
Earlier on Tuesday, residents of Mir Ali ended their sit-in protest after reaching an agreement with the local administration. The protest had been ongoing since the previous week, demanding accountability and assurances of safety.
