Pakistan blames ‘Indian-sponsored militants’ for Waziristan strike that killed 4 children

The Pakistan Army on Wednesday issued a statement attributing a May 19 strike in North Waziristan -- which killed four children -- to Indian-backed militants, dismissing what it called “unfounded and misleading allegations” that surfaced following the incident.

The clarification comes amid a protest sit-in and growing public outrage in the Mir Ali area, where a projectile hit a civilian home two days earlier, killing four young boys and injuring several others.

As residents demanded justice and accountability, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) maintained the security forces were not involved in the attack and described the accusations against forces as part of a disinformation campaign aimed at undermining Pakistan’s counterterrorism operations.

“This heinous act was orchestrated and executed by Indian-sponsored Fitna Al Khawarij,” the military said in its statement, referring to a term used for Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorist group. “These elements -- acting at the behest of their Indian masters continue to exploit civilian areas and populations to conduct acts of terrorism.”

The army added that a full investigation was underway and reaffirmed its commitment to bringing the perpetrators to justice. It said the attack aimed to disrupt the trust between local communities and security forces working to eliminate terrorism in the region.

The deadly incident occurred in the Harmuz area of Mir Ali tehsil in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where four children -- Maaz, Moeez, Salim, and Umar, aged between five and eight -- were killed.

Two women and two other children were also wounded. According to Shah Fahad, the father of three of the boys and uncle to the fourth, the strike hit their home around 6 a.m. while the children were having breakfast before school.

In the wake of the tragedy, residents launched a sit-in protest outside the Mir Ali Brigade headquarters, refusing to bury the children until their demands were met.

Protesters demand impartial probe and justice

Protesters have called for an impartial investigation and concrete measures to protect civilians from future aerial attacks. “This is not the first incident,” said local activist Eid Reham. “But the deaths of these innocent children have finally brought it into the public eye.”

Nukta’s correspondent has confirmed that the protest is ongoing, with the victims’ families continuing to demand accountability and justice.

The Harmuz tragedy is the fifth reported aerial or drone-related strike in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the past two months, following similar incidents in Tank, Bannu, Mardan, and earlier in North Waziristan.

With no conclusive attribution for the attacks, anxiety continues to grow in the region over the threat to civilians and the apparent impunity surrounding such strikes.