Mortar shell explosion in Bannu leaves six of a family dead

Mortar shell explosion in Bannu leaves six of a family dead

Bannu (Staff Report): At least six people of a family killed in a mortar shell explosion inside their house in Landi Dag area in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on late Tuesday.

According to KP police, the blast occurred when a 60-millimetre mortar shell exploded inside the house in the jurisdiction of Havid Landi Dak station in Bannu, killing a man, his wife, and their four children.

The family had found the mortar shell in nearby fields and kept it inside the house, the police official added.

Earlier the day, at least 10 people, including nine policemen – were martyred, and 20 others were wounded in a gun-and-explosive attack on the office of the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of police in Balochistan's Loralai district.

According to reports, three to four unidentified gunmen entered the office of DIG Loralai and opened fire. A blast was also heard.

"All the attackers were killed in retaliatory police fire," the reports added.

Balochistan police chief Mohsin Hassan Butt told the media the attack took place when interviews for recruitment in the force were under way at the DIG's office. The office was initially fired on, which was followed by an explosion, he said. The nature of the blast is yet to be ascertained.

The dead included three police constables, two gardeners, one washerman, one cook, a 'Class IV' police employee as well as one civilian.

Medical Superintendent of Loralai Civil Hospital Dr Faheem Kakar had earlier said that of the 17 injured brought to the hospital, two civilians were in critical condition and were shifted to the Combined Military Hospital, Loralai.