Mortar Shells Strike Civilian Areas in Northwest Pakistan, Killing at Least 6 and Wounding Dozens
PESHAWAR — May 9, 2026 — At least 6 civilians, including several children, have been killed and dozens more wounded in a series of mortar attacks and cross-border shelling incidents across Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province over the past 48 hours, officials said on Friday, May 8.
The deadliest incident occurred on Thursday, May 7, when mortar shells fired by militants during an intense clash with security forces struck residential neighborhoods in the Hangu district .
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According to Hangu police and hospital officials, at least six civilians were killed and 13 others injured. The dead included minors and young men, while women, children and the elderly were among the wounded . Five of the critically injured were referred to hospitals in neighboring Kohat and the provincial capital Peshawar for advanced medical care .
Officials said a search operation was launched following intelligence about the presence of militants from the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), referred to by the state as Fitna al-Khawarij, in the Zargari, Shnawari and Durrani Banda areas. As the police party moved in, the assailants opened fire, and during the exchange, two mortar rounds landed on civilian dwellings .
Inspector General of Police Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Zulfiqar Hameed praised the bravery of Hangu Police, CTD personnel, Frontier Corps (FC), and security forces for repelling the large-scale terrorist attack. “Civilian casualties occurred after mortar shells fired by terrorists landed in residential areas,” he confirmed .
The attack sparked grief and anger among residents, who demanded enhanced security measures to protect civilian populations from the spillover effects of counter-militancy operations .
South Waziristan Incidents
Separate attacks in South Waziristan district on Thursday also resulted in multiple child fatalities .
Security sources reported that an explosion occurred near a civilian settlement in the Gawa Khwa area, while mortar shells were fired at civilians by Afghan Taliban forces in the border tehsil of Angoor Adda.
“The explosion was caused after Fitna al Khawarij hid cylinders filled with explosives near a house in a nearby settlement,” security sources said. “Three innocent children of a family were martyred and several people were injured,” noting that the victims included a 15-year-old boy and two girls aged eight and seven .
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The injured were taken to the District Headquarters Hospital in Wana, officials confirmed .
In a separate cross-border incident in Angoor Adda, Afghan Taliban forces fired three mortar shells at a market near the Durand Line, hitting the Ghazi Rehman Hotel and nearby shops, injuring 10 people .
Ongoing Operations
According to officials, Hangu Police, CTD, and security forces jointly thwarted an infiltration attempt by more than 100 militants over a three-day period. The militants attempted to besiege several border posts and infiltrate Hangu’s areas of Zarghari, Shanawari, and Naryab from the mountains of Orakzai district .
Security forces repelled the assault, inflicting heavy losses on the militants, who retreated while carrying away their dead and wounded. Authorities confirmed that public property, schools, and surrounding mountainous areas have now been cleared .
IGP Zulfiqar Hameed announced cash rewards and commendation certificates for members of Hangu Police, CTD, Elite Force, and Al-Barq Force who participated in the operation .
Broader Regional Tensions
The latest violence adds to a pattern of cross-border and militant-related casualties in Pakistan’s tribal regions. In late April, cross-border shelling from Afghanistan claimed nine lives, including six children in Bajaur district . Officials confirmed that mortar shells were fired from across the border, impacting several civilian-populated localities in Mamund and Salarzai tehsils . The Pakistan Army responded by targeting military positions across the border, officials said .
Separatist and Islamist militant groups have long targeted security forces and civilians in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, regularly using mortars, improvised explosive devices and rockets to strike civilian infrastructure. The porous border with Afghanistan has also allowed militants to stage cross-border attacks.
The Pakistani military has conducted multiple counterinsurgency operations in recent years to clear militant hideouts from the region, but violence persists. Authorities have pledged to continue operations against militant networks until what they describe as the “complete elimination of terrorist infrastructure” is achieved.
SOURCES / INPUTS
- Daily Times: Four children among seven killed in KP as mortar shells fired from across Afghan border
- Daily Pakistan: 6 civilians martyred, 13 injured as militants’ mortar fire hits Hangu
- ARY News: 6 civilians martyred as forces repel major attack in Hangu
- Dunya News: Cross-border shelling from Afghanistan claims nine lives in Bajaur
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