The lethal munitions dropped in the early hours of Sunday and directly struck the home of Mohammad Gul Wazir. As a result, the girls, who were aged between six and 15 years, were instantly killed.

Amid growing local outrage over state negligence and a total failure to protect civilian lives, neighbours scrambled to rescue the survivors from the rubble. A local woman and three young boys, all suffering from grievous injuries, were rushed to the district headquarters hospital in Wana.

Strikingly, Pakistani authorities have maintained a conspicuous silence. They have failed to issue any official statement regarding the nature of the incident, its cause, or who was responsible for the strike.

Dawn highlighted that the attack has sent shockwaves through the local population. Now, terror-stricken residents are demanding a transparent investigation to establish the facts behind the aerial assault.

The crosshairs of these mysterious quadcopter drone strikes are not new to the region. Local sources indicate that similar aerial attacks have previously been documented across multiple sectors of the Birmal district. For example, incidents occurred in Azam Warsak, Guldona Ghundai, Karmazi, and Kalotai.

According to local accounts, these repeated aerial operations have claimed numerous casualties over time. Consequently, the border communities are trapped in a perpetual state of fear and vulnerability.

The latest tragedy unfolds against the backdrop of a staggering breakdown of law and order in Lower South Waziristan. Security has systematically deteriorated over the past 18 months under the current administration.

Compounding the crisis, local communities report a terrifying surge in violence under the noses of the security apparatus. Dawn noted that residents have pointed to a sharp increase in bombings, targeted killings, kidnappings for ransom, extortion, and brazen attacks on police and security personnel. This paints a grim picture of a region abandoned to lawlessness and terror.

(ANI)