PESHAWAR, May 11: Four young children were killed on Friday when a mortar slammed into their family’s vehicle as they attempted to escape an offensive by security forces, officials said.

The children’s aunt and mother were wounded in the incident in the tribal district of Khyber, where security forces are fighting against local warlord Mangal Bagh and his Lashkar-i-Islam faction.

The dead children were cousins – one girl and three boys – aged between three and nine years, officials said.

“Four children were killed and two women were critically wounded. They were from one family,” said Bakhtiar Khan, an administration official in Bara town where the incident took place.

Syed Ahmad Jan, another government official, said the family was leaving the Shaluber area of Khyber after authorities issued evacuation orders warning that security forces were planning to expand their offensive.

“There was an exchange of fire between militants and troops,” Mr Khan said, adding that a ‘stray mortar’ had hit the vehicle.

The children’s father, grocer Zahir Shah, was driving the vehicle. Two of his sons, his niece and nephew were killed, Mr Khan added.

More than 250,000 people have fled the fighting in Khyber since January, according to officials.—AFP