ISLAMABAD, March 16 Troops shot dead a woman on Sunday after opening fire on a vehicle when it failed to stop at a checkpost in a curfew-hit northwestern region, the army said.

The army expressed “deep regret” over the incident, which happened in the early hours in the Swat Valley. A military statement said that soldiers fired warning shots to stop the vehicle when it approached the checkpoint in Matta district shortly after midnight on Sunday, then fired shots to puncture the tyres.

“As a result of firing, one female was seriously injured. She was evacuated to hospital. However, she later succumbed to injuries,” the statement said.—AFP