At least five members of a family were killed after a mortar shell exploded in a residential area in Pakistan's restive northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province late Wednesday night, police said. The tragic incident occurred in Serri Kandao area of Tirah Valley, Khyber district bordering Afghanistan. The five members of the family died on the spot after the mortar shell fired from an unknown direction hit the residential area.

The deceased were identified as Niaz Badshah, his two sons, a nephew, and a grandson.
Panic and fear spread across the area following the incident. Local residents expressed grief over the loss of lives and demanded an immediate investigation as well as urgent measures to ensure the safety of civilians.

641 Afghan Taliban operatives killed: Pakistan

Pakistan on Wednesday said its security forces have killed 641 Afghan Taliban operatives and injured over 855 in the ongoing military operation launched two weeks ago.

Pakistan unleashed military action, codenamed Operation Ghazab lil-Haq (righteous fury), on February 26 after the Afghan side attacked 53 locations on the 2,611 kms long border.
Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have nose-dived since October 2025.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar stated on his X handle: "641 Taliban operatives have been killed and 855 others injured."

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Sharing the latest updates, Tarar said that 243 Afghan check posts have been destroyed, while 42 others were captured and destroyed by the Pakistani security forces. He also said that 219 tanks, armoured vehicles and artillery guns have also been destroyed during the operation, while 65 locations across Afghanistan were effectively targeted by air.

The updates were shared amidst reports of efforts by old Jihadi elements to find a negotiated solution between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban. BBC Urdu reported that three individuals including Maulana Fazlur Rehman Khalil, Abdullah Shah Mazhar (Pir Mazhar Shah) and Qari Sajid Usman visited Kabul.

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Taliban sources in Afghanistan and a close associate of Maulana Fazlur Rehman Khalil in Pakistan confirmed to BBC Urdu the presence of these individuals in Kabul.

(Note: Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by The Daily Jagran and has been published through a syndicated feed. Source - PTI)