Peshawar, Aug 13 (PTI) A woman and two children were killed when a mortar shell struck their home during an ongoing military operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in northwestern Pakistan, hospital authorities said on Wednesday.
Security forces launched a three-day targetted operation on Monday against militants under curfew in Lowi Mamund and War Mamund tehsils in Bajaur district of the restive province, a former stronghold of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The offensive is, however, likely to continue until Thursday, officials said.
The woman and the two children were killed when the mortar shell hit their house on Tuesday. The attack also left several others injured, who were taken to a local hospital.
Authorities at the hospital confirmed the death of the woman and the two children.
Meanwhile, around 55,000 people have been displaced since August 9 because of the operation. Over 20,000 families have taken shelter at designated places due to the military operation even as the provincial government declared a special relief package for those affected. The registrations were still in progress as of Wednesday morning.
The district administration is providing meals to the displaced people three times a day, officials said.
Authorities eased curfew restrictions on Wednesday, reopening markets and key roads including Khar-Munda, Khar-Nawagai, Khar-Sadiqabad and Inayat Killi.
There has been no official statement about casualties of either the militant or the security forces.