Khyber District, Pakistan – A deadly airstrike in the Tirah Valley of Khyber district has killed at least 30 civilians, including women and children, according to eyewitnesses and local reports.
Residents of Matre Dara village said Pakistan Air Force JF-17 fighter jets carried out the strike around 2 a.m. on Monday, releasing at least eight precision-guided bombs that destroyed five homes. Families were reportedly asleep at the time of the attack, leaving little chance for survival.
The area has long been identified as a stronghold of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and the bombing is believed to be part of an ongoing counter-insurgency operation near the Afghan border. However, the scale of civilian casualties has sparked widespread concern.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) strongly condemned the incident, calling for a transparent and impartial investigation. “The loss of civilian life in such numbers is unacceptable. Accountability is essential to prevent further tragedies,” the commission said in a statement.
The Pakistani military has so far declined to comment on the airstrike. Some local sources have suggested that the explosion may have been triggered by the detonation of a TTP weapons cache, though this claim remains unverified.
The tragedy has left the region tense and fearful. Survivors and rights groups are demanding justice for those killed, as questions grow over the conduct of counter-terrorism operations in civilian-populated areas.
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