Protesters demonstrating against counter-terrorism operations in the province were fired upon in the Mohmand Ghoz area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Tirah Valley, a provincial government official told Dawn.com.

Earlier this week, two children were killed by a mortar shell in the Raghzai village in Tank district. Following the incident, the grieving families and residents of the area staged a protest by blocking the Tank-South Waziristan Road, demanding immediate identification and action against those responsible.

According to Sohail Afridi, Special Assistant for KP Communications and Works, there had been an incident a day prior where a mortar struck a house and killed a young girl, prompting local residents to protest in front of the Frontier Corps (FC) compound today.

“Angry locals gathered at the gates and shots were fired when the crowd was near the compound,” he told Dawn.com. He said there were reports of fatalities and injuries in the incident.

Sohail added that there were conflicting reports about who opened fire on the demonstrators.

“I talked to district officials who told me that terrorists belonging to Fitna-al-Khawarij fired at the protesters,” he said, using the term designating members of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

“However, some of the protesters alleged that the forces at the gates fired at them when they were demonstrating,” he added.

In a statement from his office, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the firing by Khawarij and issued instructions to provide immediate medical assistance to the injured.

“The heinous intentions of terrorists cannot shake our resolve,” he was quoted as saying.

Following the incident, a jirga was convened between civil and military officials, local elders and Security Forces Commandant Brigadier Muhammad Qasim, according to a social media post by the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F).

The jirga condemned the incident in strong terms, emphasising that peaceful protest is a constitutional and democratic right and that no security force has the right to fire on protesters.

According to the post, the commandant stated that an inquiry will be launched into the incident and strict action will be taken against those responsible. He added that the person behind yesterday’s mortar attack has been identified and action against him is underway.

“Drone attacks and mortar shells will no longer hit innocent and oppressed people and their homes,” the commandant was quoted as saying. “All closed roads will be opened and nobody will be stopped at the Tirah check post.”

Additionally, the jirga agreed that the security forces would pay Rs1.5 million for every person killed in the incident, with the injured receiving treatment at the FC hospital in Shah Kas for free. The injured will also receive Rs250,000 each.

“If any injured person dies, they will also be given a martyr package,” the statement added, outlining that these packages would be distributed by the civil administration.

Jirgas to start next week: Gandapur

KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur expressed deep grief over the incident and outlined a compensation scheme and a series of jirgas in a statement from his press secretary.

“The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government expresses deep sorrow and grief over the Tirah incident and expresses full sympathy with the deceased and injured,” Gandapur was quoted as saying.

“A jirga consisting of tribal elders and public representatives has been called in Peshawar to hear local sentiments and concerns,” the statement added. “A series of jirgas of tribal elders will begin next week at the divisional and then provincial levels.”

The CM added that district administrations and institutions were instructed to strengthen public relations and maintain order, as well as announcing a Rs10m package for those killed in the incident as well as Rs2.5m for those injured.