SOUTH WAZIRISTAN: A nine-year-old boy was killed on Wednesday when terrorists opened fire at a police official near a makeshift checkpoint in Sharkanai area of Toi Khula, Lower South Waziristan, officials said.

They said that a constable, Habib and a local resident were passing through the area when armed militants intercepted them and opened fire.

The police retaliated immediately, triggering an exchange of gunfire. Amid the crossfire, Baitullah, the young son of a local schoolteacher, Naseebullah Dotani, was fatally hit and died on the spot.

The attackers managed to escape into the nearby hills, while police reinforcements reached the scene and launched a search operation.

Investigators collected evidence from the site, and a combing operation was initiated to trace the perpetrators.

Residents of the area expressed grief and deep concern over the killing of the boy, stating that such incidents have created an atmosphere of fear among the local population.

The incident comes just a day after two civilians were shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Tiarza area of Upper South Waziristan, underscoring the deteriorating security situation in the region.

Published in Dawn, November 20th, 2025