In a horrifying act of terrorism, a drone strike carried out by Indian-backed Fitna al-Khawarij, as declared by the state, targeted a school in the Makin tehsil of South Waziristan on Thursday. The brutal attack left one child martyred and five others severely injured, with two reported to be in critical condition.
According to security sources, the drone strike occurred during school hours and was aimed at sowing fear and disrupting education in the region. Witnesses said a sudden, loud explosion near the school sent panic through the area. The attack, they confirmed, was executed using a small drone, a tactic increasingly used by terrorists to terrorise vulnerable populations without warning.
“It was clearly a premeditated strike designed to create terror and halt educational progress,” said a local resident, deeply shaken by the incident.
Emergency responders rushed the injured children to Razmak Hospital, where one of them succumbed to his injuries. Authorities confirmed that all the victims were innocent students attending their regular classes when the attack occurred.
Security agencies have placed direct responsibility for the assault on Fitna al-Khawarij, which has a long history of targeting schools, teachers, and students across the tribal regions of Pakistan. In response, security forces swiftly launched a comprehensive search operation in and around Makin, vowing to bring the perpetrators to justice.
This attack follows chilling threats issued by the same group last month, when they warned educators in North Waziristan to shut down schools or face drone attacks, even at their homes. The terrorists claimed they were acting under the orders of their so-called “commander” and showed no hesitation in admitting possession of armed drone capabilities.
The residents of Makin have strongly condemned this heinous act, urging the government and armed forces to completely dismantle Fitna al-Khawarij and protect the region’s children and citizens from further atrocities.
Civil society groups, teachers’ unions, and parents expressed deep concern over the implications of the attack.
“Such barbarity not only endangers lives but also damages the psychological development, confidence, and educational future of our children,” said one member of a local education advocacy group.
They appealed for national unity and swift military action to eliminate the terrorists and ensure that schools remain places of learning, not battlefields.
Fitna al-Khawarij, the new label for what was formerly the banned TTP, has repeatedly attacked symbols of progress and peace in Pakistan. The group’s growing access to drone technology, and their increasing boldness in targeting soft civilian infrastructure, has raised fresh alarms within intelligence and counter-terrorism agencies.
This latest attack once again highlights the urgent need for uncompromising counter-terrorism efforts to eradicate enemies of peace, particularly those acting as proxies in broader regional destabilisation efforts.
