Mortar shell explosion claims lives of 5 kids in Lakki Marwat

A mortar shell’s explosion in the Langar Khel area of district Lakki Marwat left at least five children martyred and 13 others injured on Saturday.

The blast took place in the Saddar police station limits. According to initial reports, children unknowingly brought home an unexploded shell and began playing with it. The device exploded, resulting in the death of four girls and one boy. All of them were between six and twelve years of age.

Rescue teams quickly reached the scene and shifted 13 injured people, including men and women, to a nearby hospital. They suffered injuries of varying severity. Soon after the blast, District Police Officer (DPO) Lakki Marwat and other law enforcement officials arrived at the site. Police cordoned off the area and launched an investigation into how the shell ended up in a civilian area.

In a separate incident, the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa killed three militants in an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Barikot, Swat. The operation began at 7 PM after officials received a tip-off about terrorist presence in the Parrai area of Ghaligay. DPO Swat Umar Khan Gandapur said police retaliated when the terrorists opened fire. All three were killed in the exchange. One militant was an Afghan national wanted in nine terrorism cases, while the other two were involved in at least two cases each. Both incidents have raised serious concerns about safety and the presence of explosive material in civilian areas.