BAJAUR: A child was killed and eight others were injured after a mortar shell exploded in a hilly area of Salarzai tehsil here on Sunday afternoon.

Rescue 1122 officials and residents said the incident occurred inside a home in the Kardook area.

“Children found the unexploded device, brought it home, and were playing with it when it exploded,” Riaz Ahmed Khan, a spokesperson of Rescue 1122 Khar station, told Dawn, quoting local residents.

He said that nine people, including children and women, were wounded in the explosion, who were shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital in Khar.

However, the official said that a child, identified as Anas Khan, succumbed to his injuries at the hospital. The official said that six of the injured people were later referred to a hospital in Peshawar for advanced treatment due to their precious conditions.

The police have launched an investigation into the incident, an official said.

Published in Dawn, February 16th, 2026