A child was killed and three others injured after a mortar shell exploded in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Saturday, police said. The incident occurred in Azam Warsak Bazar in South Waziristan district when children mistook the shell for a toy.
According to District Police Officer Asif Bahadur, the children, aged 8-10, picked up the shell from an abandoned area, triggering a powerful explosion.
A deadly legacy
The tragic incident highlights a recurring danger in the region. In northwest Pakistan, dozens of children have lost their lives after playing with explosive devices disguised as toys. This grim legacy dates back to the 1980s when Soviet forces airdropped toy bombs in neighboring Afghanistan during their invasion.
A conflict zone
South Waziristan, one of Pakistan’s seven semi-autonomous tribal areas, has long been a conflict zone. For over a decade, the Pakistan Army has been battling militants linked to the Taliban and Al-Qaeda in the region, contributing to the prevalence of unexploded ordnance.
Authorities have called for greater awareness and efforts to clear abandoned explosives to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
