Two girls were killed while five children and a man were injured when unknown men opened fire at a school van in Attock District’s Dheri Kot area on Thursday, police and rescue officials said. “Two children were killed and five children were injured when gunmen indiscriminately opened fire on a school van,” Attock police spokesman Waseem Babar told AFP. The gunmen, who fled the scene, were embroiled in court cases with the family of the driver, who was also hurt in the shooting, according to Babar. The girls killed were aged 10 or 11, Babar said. The children were on their way to school when the attack happened around 8am. The Attock police reached the site of the incident while the injured and the bodies were shifted to a hospital. 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. 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. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said such an attack on children was “a cruel and gruesome act”, Radio Pakistan reported.
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