A deadly drone strike in the Hormuz area of Mir Ali killed several schoolchildren on Sunday, just days after a Shiwa-based terrorist group issued direct threats against students and teachers in Waziristan.
On May 15, the extremist group released a video from Shah Zaman Kot in Shiwa. In the video, the militants threatened school staff and children with drone attacks inside their homes. They claimed to have acquired six drones for the purpose.
The video, recorded inside a government school, showed armed militants warning of imminent attacks on educational institutions and their personnel. “We have brought drones, and we will use them,” one of the terrorists said in the footage.
The group began moving toward Mir Ali on the same day the video surfaced.
On May 18, security forces launched a swift and successful operation near Hormuz. The main commander of the group, Ashiq Ullah alias Abbas, a resident of Spin Wam, was killed while heading toward Tapi. Two of his associates were injured and fled toward Hormuz.
Despite this setback, the group carried out its planned attack the next day.
On May 19, a drone bomb struck a house in Hormuz where schoolchildren were preparing for classes. The children, dressed in school uniforms, were killed on the spot. One of the victims was related to a local schoolteacher, suggesting the attack was targeted.
The incident has confirmed fears raised in the earlier video message. The presence of the video, the militants’ movements, and the aftermath of the attack leave no doubt about the group’s involvement.
Attempts to shift the blame have failed. The video threat, the killing of the commander, and the targeted nature of the drone strike all point to the same source.
Authorities have condemned the attack and launched a wider investigation into the group’s operations in North Waziristan.
