Summary
- A young girl was killed and two children injured when a hand grenade exploded by a roadside in Peshawar’s Faqirabad area on Thursday, police said.
- “The two injured children were taken to the hospital for medical treatment,” he said, adding that investigators had recovered the clip of the grenade from the scene.
- In May, two schoolchildren were killed in a similar drone attack in Bajaur’s Shah Tangi area, while three others were injured in another strike on a cricket ground.
A young girl was killed and two children injured when a hand grenade exploded by a roadside in Peshawar’s Faqirabad area on Thursday, police said.
Superintendent of Police Hamid Ehsan confirmed the blast occurred in Saeedabad, where children were playing with the grenade when it detonated. “The two injured children were taken to the hospital for medical treatment,” he said, adding that investigators had recovered the clip of the grenade from the scene. Authorities have launched an inquiry to determine how the explosive device reached the area and whether negligence or criminal involvement was behind the incident.
The tragedy came hours after three people were killed and eight wounded in a suspected drone strike on a residential house in Bajaur district. The strike hit the home of Syed Wali Jan in Mamund tehsil’s Shinkot area. In May, two schoolchildren were killed in a similar drone attack in Bajaur’s Shah Tangi area, while three others were injured in another strike on a cricket ground.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) has remained a focal point of Pakistan’s counterterrorism efforts, witnessing a sharp rise in militant violence last year. More than 500 attacks were reported in 2025, marking a 50 percent increase compared to the previous year. A security assessment cited by The Express Tribune recorded 1,588 terrorism-related incidents across settled and tribal districts.
Despite the surge, security forces thwarted 320 major strikes, arrested 1,244 suspected militants, and killed 420 in intelligence-based operations. The report noted that districts including Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Lakki Marwat, Hangu, and Peshawar were among the most affected, with many attacks allegedly planned from across the Afghan border.
Police personnel have borne the brunt of the violence, with attacks on officers rising 56 percent in 2025. A total of 510 police personnel were killed compared to 327 the previous year. Security agencies conducted 2,791 search operations and identified 25 foreign militant operatives, while extortion networks in Peshawar and other districts were dismantled.
The grenade blast in Peshawar highlights the continuing dangers faced by civilians in K-P, where children and families remain vulnerable to the fallout of militant violence and unexploded ordnance.
