NORTH WAZIRISTAN: Three children were injured when the residence of a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader, Malik Liaquat Ali Khan, was targeted with a suspected quadcopter strike on Tuesday evening, local sources said.

They said the attack occurred at around 8pm when children were playing in the courtyard of the house.

A quadcopter, reportedly arriving from an unknown direction, dropped explosives at the house, triggering a blast that damaged the structure, they said.

Three children present in the courtyard sustained injuries in the blast.

The injured included Khan’s son and his two nephews.

They were rushed to a nearby hospital, where the condition of one child was stated to be critical.

Witnesses said the explosion panicked the residents, forcing them to rush out of their homes.

“We heard a loud blast and saw smoke rising from the house. Children were screaming, and everyone was terrified,” a resident said.

Khan, a district leader of PML-N and former candidate for PK-103, was not present in the courtyard at the time of the attack.

Family members said that the women and other relatives escaped unhurt.

Security sources have yet to officially confirm the nature and origin of the drone.

Following the incident, local administration and security forces reached the site and cordoned off the area.

An investigation was launched to determine the motive behind the attack. No group claimed responsibility for the attack.

Published in Dawn, April 29th, 2026