Nine students injured, three critically, in drone strike on madrassa in North Waziristan.
Pakistan Army denies involvement; locals blame Afghan Taliban drones in retaliation.
Incident further strains Pakistan-Afghanistan relations amid ongoing cross-border militancy and accusations.
Nine Children Injured In Drone Strike On Madrassa In Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Blast hits religious seminary in North Waziristan, military denies involvement, local sources blame cross-border Afghan drone, Taliban-linked groups vow retaliation
Summary
At least nine children were injured, three of them critically, when a drone strike targeted a madrassa (religious seminary) in Pakistan’s North Waziristan district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on the night of December 25, 2025. The attack occurred in the Mir Ali tehsil area, a long-standing hotspot of militancy and cross-border tensions.
According to local hospital officials and eyewitnesses, the drone fired at least two missiles into the seminary compound around 11:30 pm, causing a powerful explosion that partially collapsed a building where students were sleeping. The injured children, aged between 8 and 14, were rushed to the District Headquarters Hospital in Mir Ali and later referred to a larger facility in Bannu. Doctors described multiple shrapnel wounds, burns and fractures; three are on ventilators.
Pakistan military spokesperson Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry categorically denied any involvement by Pakistani forces, stating: “No Pakistan Army or security forces drone operation was conducted in the area last night. We are investigating the incident and will respond appropriately.” He suggested the strike could have originated from across the Afghan border.
Local tribal elders and residents, however, accused Afghan Taliban forces of launching the attack, claiming it was retaliation for recent Pakistani military operations against Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) hideouts near the Durand Line. The TTP, which has been intensifying attacks inside Pakistan, issued a statement vowing “severe revenge” if the strike was confirmed to be Afghan-origin.
The incident has sharply escalated tensions between Islamabad and Kabul, already strained by frequent cross-border shelling, drone strikes and accusations of harbouring militants. Pakistan has repeatedly claimed that TTP fighters operate from safe havens inside Afghanistan, while Kabul alleges Pakistan shelters anti-Taliban groups.
Civil society groups in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa condemned the attack on a religious school, calling it a violation of international humanitarian law. Protests erupted in Mir Ali and Peshawar on December 26, with demonstrators burning effigies and demanding accountability
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