5 children killed as mortar shell hits house in Kurram

KURRAM: Five children were killed on Wednesday when a mortar shell struck their home in the Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, local officials said.

According to police, the mortar — fired from an unknown location — landed and exploded in the Manatu Warasta area of Central Kurram.

Rescue teams arrived shortly after the incident and shifted the bodies to a nearby hospital. Security forces have launched an investigation to determine where the shell was fired from.

Police said the mortar shell hit the house of a man named Haji Gulab. The deceased children were between 7 and 18 years old.

Local sources reported that the victims’ families placed the bodies on the road in protest following the incident.

Earlier, on November 20, 2025, Pakistan’s security forces neutralized 23 India-sponsored militants during operations in KP’s Kurram district, ARY News reported, citing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

According to the ISPR, security forces conducted multiple intelligence-based operations in the area, resulting in the killing of 23 militants. In one targeted operation based on credible intelligence, 12 militants were killed during an exchange of fire.

In another operation conducted in the same area, security forces eliminated an additional 11 terrorists.

The ISPR confirmed that the killed militants were involved in planning and executing terrorist activities under Indian sponsorship.

The ISPR added that under the “Azm-e-Istehkam” framework, operations to eliminate terrorism will continue with full intensity. Security forces and law enforcement agencies remain fully committed to eradicating the menace of terrorism.