ATTOCK-UNS:Two children were killed and five injured when unknown men opened fire at a school van in Attock District’s Dheri Kot area on Thursday, Punjab Rescue 1122 confirmed in a statement.
The school van’s driver was the sixth person injured in the incident. The injured as well as the bodies have been shifted to a hospital.
While the unidentified gunmen have fled the scene, according to Rescue 1122, the Attock police reached the site of the incident.
All children were between 10 and 12 years old, the rescue team added.
Regional Police Officer (RPO) Babar Sarfraz Alpa said the incident occurred due to “personal enmity”.
“The gunfire was aimed at the driver but also caused harm to the children,” the RPO said.
He added that a case had been registered against the suspects and raids were being carried out to arrest them.
RPO Sarfraz expressed the hope that the culprits would be arrested soon.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.
President Asif Ali Zardari strongly condemned the incident and said that strict action must be taken against those responsible, according to a statement from the President’s House.
“Targeting innocent children is a cruel and shameful act,” the statement read.
He prayed for the deceased, as well as for the speedy recovery of the injured children.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said such an attack on children was “quite a cruel and gruesome act”, Radio Pakistan reported.
Expressing solidarity with the bereaved families, the premier prayed for the departed souls and early recovery of the injured.
He also directed the authorities concerned to take stern action against the culprits and to provide the best treatment facilities to the injured children.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi conveyed his sympathies to the bereaved families, a statement shared by state broadcaster PTV News said.
