At least Five children from the same family were killed late Tuesday night when a mortar shell fired from an unknown direction landed on a house in Warasta Mela, a village in Manatu. The blast completely destroyed the home of a local resident known as Gulab Mama.

According to SHO Mamoor Khan of Central Kurram’s Chinarak Police Station, the mortar round struck the house during the night, killing all five children inside on the spot. The deceased were identified as 17-year-old Muhammad Sabir, 15-year-old Muhammad Usama, 14-year-old Muhammad Qabil, 8-year-old Muhammad Sajid and 6-year-old Muhammad Sadiq.

The SHO said the explosion was so powerful that the entire structure collapsed, and the blast was heard in nearby areas as well.

Early in the morning, residents placed the bodies of the children on the Manatu main road in front of the FC fort and staged a strong protest.

Protesters said innocent civilians were repeatedly being hit by mortar fire from unknown directions, yet no one had ever been held accountable. They questioned, “What justice is this? Which of these children was a terrorist? Why are homes being targeted?”

Residents alleged that earlier too, mortar shells had landed on mosques and houses, damaging worship places and private property, but the perpetrators were never identified. They demanded an immediate end to such attacks and called for those responsible to be exposed.

The protest ended after local elders intervened and senior security officials assured the crowd of a transparent investigation. According to police, security forces met the affected family and vowed strict punishment for those involved. Authorities also promised a “martyr package” for the victims’ families and reconstruction of the destroyed house.