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       SOUTH WAZIRISTAN: A minor girl was killed and four members of her family were injured when a mortar shell fired during an exchange of fire between the security forces and militants landed on a house in Angoor Adda in Lower South Waziristan district on Friday night.

       According to sources, five members of the family, three of them children, were injured when the mortar shell hit their residence.

       They said that the residents acted swiftly and shifted the injured to the District Headquarters Hospital, Wana, where a minor girl succumbed to her wounds.

       Another young man injured in the incident was referred to a hospital in Dera Ismail Khan for further medical care. Wana hospital medical superintendent Dr Jan Mohammad said that the injured included a woman, three children, and a man, all belonging to the same family.

       Maulana Rafiuddin Wazir, JUI-F general secretary, Lower South Waziristan, told Dawn that the mortar shell hit his uncle’s house. According to the family, the shell struck while crossfire was continuing between the security forces and militants.

       The incident triggered a protest on Saturday at Angoor Adda, where tribal elders, clerics, youth and the victims’ relatives gathered in large numbers to denounce the attack.

       Addressing the protesters, prominent leader Maulana Tasbihullah Wazir condemned the shelling, calling it not only tragic but also shameful. He said that such attacks on civilian areas during the night were unacceptable and posed a serious threat to public safety.

       He demanded an impartial investigation into the incident and called on authorities to hold those responsible for the incident accountable.

       Later, the demonstrators took out a rally through Angoor Adda Bazaar, chanting slogans against the government and demanding justice for the victims and protection for the people.

       In a separate statement, the security forces claimed that unidentified assailants had launched a quadcopter attack on the Khangai Fort in the same area.

       In the ensuing exchange of fire, a shell reportedly fell on a nearby civilian house, injuring four family members.

       The statement added that the area was cordoned off by the military, and medical aid was provided to the injured by Pakistan Army and Frontier Corps personnel.

       Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2025