Gunmen killed four female social workers in North Waziristan

Four women social workers were shot dead on Monday in the Mirali area of North Waziristan, police said. A fresh wave of extremist violence bangs the region.

According to local police chief Shafiullah Gandapur, the workers were trapped by two gunmen as they were driving through a village in the North Waziristan district, and only one passenger survived the attack.

Nobody has claimed accountability for the attack so far, but it was surely an act of terrorism, he told. Gandapur said the social workers were associated with a program run by a local institute to grow household skills for women.

The unfortunate incident and number of casualties were confirmed by another local police official, Rasul Khan. Separately, Gandapur told in a statement that the vehicle driver also suffered injuries in the attack.

He elaborated that a search and strike operation was performed in the Mirali tehsil of the district to inquire about the terrorists.

In the meantime, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan delivered a statement, condemning the attack and demanding that the criminals be punished.

The tribal areas along the Afghan border remain infamous for the accessibility of cheap guns, narcotics, and smuggled goods.

However, attacks have declined in recent years following a series of military attacks against homegrown and foreign militants.

The army launched a massive operation in 2014, to abolish militant bases in North Waziristan aimed at ending a near-decade-long rebellion that took thousands of lives. But militant groups are still able to carry out isolated assaults.

A recent increase in attacks targeting security forces along the Afghan border has caused worries that these groups may be regrouping.