Injured children were shifted to a hospital in Dera Ismail Khan, a town bordering South Waziristan, following air bombardment on several locations on Friday Sept 18th. It remains unclear whether the bombings were all conducted by the Pakistani air force or whether some were carried out by US drones.
South Waziristan | Sept 21, 2015 — According to initial reports, a U.S. drone targeted a moving vehicle at South Waziristan’s subdivision Sarwakai’s Tehsil Tiarza’s Sharanwagai Naraye area which resulted in the killing of seven militants while the vehicle was completely destroyed. But, later reports denied a drone attack.
Earlier, initial reports also suggested that Pakistani jets also bombarded locales in Tehsil Sarwakai’s areas Ziarat Zai, Toor Mandi and Kanday Ghar.
It remains unclear whether these bombings were all conducted by the Pakistan air force or whether some were carried out by U.S. drones.
Children and women killed
As many as nine people of the same family were killed as result of the bombardment in Ziarat Zai, a section of South Waziristan’s subdivision, Sarwakai. They were laid to rest at Lewanaye cemetery.
Armanullah injured in the bombardment
Another three were killed in Kanday Ghar and one in Toor Mandi. Approximately six-year-old Armanullah, son of Nemat Ullah, was severely wounded. “Within seconds, he was attacked and received a head injury,” his father told local media. “He was hit while it was completely dark and he fell unconscious immediately.”
The boy was brought to the Dera Ismail Khan Hospital for medical care and was transferred to Dera Ismail Khan Headquarters Hospital after first aid.
Nine dead from one family
According to details, the women and children killed in Ziarat Zai belonged to Abdul Manan Ashangai’s family. Three women, four girls and two children died while being entrapped under the rubble.
The eye witnesses say that those killed include Abdul Manan’s wife, ten-year-old son Amanullah, six-year-old daughter Nadia; brother Haleem’s wife and his ten-year-old daughter Asia as well as four-year-old Nooria; and another brother Mopal’s twelve-year-old daughter Somia, eight-year-old son Zahid; and brother Akhtar Gul’s wife.
The political administration and elected representatives didn’t even condole with the affected family.
The remaining injured persons were initially transferred to administrative area Kot Azam before finally being moved to Tank in Dera Ismail Khan. Manan’s eight-year-old daughter Zakia and his sister-in-law, Mopal’s wife, whose right leg is severely injured are now being treated at District Headquarter Hospital of Dera Ismail Khan.
The bombardment turned the house into rubble and also killed dozens of livestock in the house.
The locals said a commotion erupted after the nine funerals of the same family took place and every eye was wet.
Discrimination against the Mehsud tribe
Eight-year-old Zakia was treated for injuries at Dera Ismail Hospital.
Abdul Manan said while talking to media personnel that the government is treating the Mehsud tribe with discrimination. It is political administration’s responsibility to run the agency’s affairs and senators and members of National Assembly (MNAs) belonging to the Sarwakai subdivision did not even reach the family to condole, let alone the compensation.
Abdul Manan said that if the same situation happened in Punjab then all prominent officials including Chief Minister Punjab would have reached out to the affected family for condolences. He complained that no one extends the same support for a tribal.
He called the authorities for a reform.
The political administration has verified these incidents.
