Peshawar: At least 24 people, including women and children, were killed and several others injured on Monday after a massive explosion ripped through a compound linked to the Pakistani Taliban in northwest Pakistan, police said.
While officials blamed the blast on explosives stored inside the compound in Tirah Valley’s Matur Dara area of Khyber district, residents claimed it was caused by air strikes. No official government statement has been issued so far.
The provincial branch of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf alleged that “jet bombings” destroyed five houses and left 20 bodies buried under rubble. However, the local administration rejected these claims, insisting that the explosion was triggered by bomb-making materials.
Station House Officer Zafar Khan said 14 militants and 10 civilians, including women and children, were among the dead. The compound was reportedly a hub for IED production, sniper training, and shelter for local and Afghan fighters.
Angered residents shut down Bara Bazaar, demanding accountability and protection. Lawmakers Abdul Ghani Afridi and Mohammad Iqbal Khan Afridi accused authorities of air strikes and civilian killings, vowing to raise the issue at every forum.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) expressed concern over reports of aerial bombings and civilian deaths, calling for an impartial inquiry and urging the state to uphold its constitutional duty to protect lives.
Police noted that militants often store explosives within civilian areas to avoid security operations, but unsafe handling frequently causes deadly blasts.
Militancy in Pakistan has surged since the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul in 2021, shattering hopes in Islamabad of reduced cross-border violence.
