Families of children killed in a recent attack, who were bringing the bodies to Peshawar for a protest, were stopped from entering the city by security forces.
According to reports, a drone attack yesterday in the Tirah Valley led to the deaths of two schoolchildren and left six others severely injured. Local sources claim that these children’s lives were lost due to a mortar shell fired by the Pakistani military in the area.
The families of the children killed in the mortar attack in the Bhutan Sharif area of Khyber Agency, Tirah Valley, were transporting the bodies to Peshawar. However, sources report that they were blocked from proceeding to Peshawar.
In response, affected families and locals began a protest by placing the bodies on the road at Erhanga. During the protest, the demonstrators stated that they were heading to the Peshawar Corps Commander’s house to register their grievances over the loss of the children, but security forces fired on the protesters at Erhanga. Following the firing, the protesters resumed their sit-in by placing the bodies on the road.
Social activist Khan Wali Afridi stated, “Today, we have the bodies of innocent children on our land, and our protectors themselves have become our killers.”
He added that this incident has sparked widespread grief and anger among the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, leading to growing questions about the presence of security forces in the area.
The protesters demand an immediate investigation into the loss of innocent lives and justice for those responsible.