Pakistani police commandos fatally shot a 10-year-old Australian girl and severely wounded her father and brother after mistaking them for armed thieves in the city of Chakwal on Wednesday.

Hania Ahmed, a fourth-grade student from Perth, was killed when Punjab Police Elite Force personnel opened fire, authorities said. Her father, Adeel Ahmed, 39, and 11-year-old brother, Aafan, sustained severe injuries, while her mother escaped unhurt.

Police said the family was trying to flee in their rental car after thieves attempted to rob them at gunpoint. The Punjab Police's Crime Control Department stated that the officer mistakenly assessed that the suspects were fleeing in the victims' vehicle and discharged his weapon, resulting in the tragic death and injuries.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who gave the girl's age as nine, told journalists that his government expects transparency and a proper investigation. He described the circumstances as dire.

Authorities said the officer who fired has been remanded in custody, while the two robbery suspects were killed in a separate shootout.

Source: www.aljazeera.com