In a tragic incident on Thursday, two young girls were killed, and five children, along with a man, were injured when unidentified gunmen opened fire on a school van in the Dheri Kot area of Attock District, police and rescue officials reported.
The attack occurred around 8 a.m. as the children were on their way to school. The assailants, who fled the scene, were reportedly involved in ongoing court cases with the van’s driver, who was also injured in the shooting, according to Attock police spokesperson Waseem Babar.
The two girls who lost their lives were aged 10 or 11, Babar said. The injured were immediately transported to a nearby hospital, and the police have launched an investigation into the incident.
Regional Police Officer (RPO) Babar Sarfraz Alpa stated that the attack was motivated by “personal enmity,” with the intended target being the driver, though the children were also harmed. A case has been registered, and efforts are underway to apprehend the suspects.
The attack has drawn widespread condemnation. President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif both expressed their grief and called for strict action against those responsible. Other political leaders, including Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, also condemned the violence and urged authorities to ensure justice.
This tragic event is part of a series of violent incidents targeting schoolchildren in Pakistan, including the 2014 Army Public School massacre in Peshawar and attacks on school vans in Swat.
