Peshawar, March 12 At least five members of a family were killed after a mortar shell exploded in a residential area in Pakistan's restive northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province late Wednesday night, police said.
The tragic incident occurred in the Serri Kandao area of the Tirah Valley, in the Khyber district bordering Afghanistan. The five members of the family died instantly after the mortar shell, fired from an unknown direction, struck the residential area.
The deceased were identified as Niaz Badshah, his two sons, a nephew, and a grandson.
Panic and fear spread across the area following the incident. Local residents expressed grief over the loss of lives and demanded an immediate investigation, as well as urgent measures to ensure the safety of civilians.
Pakistan said on Wednesday that its security forces have killed 641 Afghan Taliban operatives and injured over 855 in the ongoing military operation launched two weeks ago.
Pakistan launched military action, codenamed Operation Ghazab lil-Haq (righteous fury), on February 26 after the Afghan side attacked 53 locations along the 2,611 km long border.
Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have deteriorated significantly since October 2025.
