Civilians among dozens killed in explosions in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Dozens killed, including children, in explosions in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Authorities point to TTP bomb material, while politicians accuse military of air strikes.

23 sept 2025 - 14:39 • 2 min read

At least 24 people, including children, were killed in explosions in a remote area of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, sparking calls for an investigation into the incident. Local police reported that bomb-making materials, allegedly stored at a compound belonging to the Pakistan Taliban (TTP), exploded in the Tirah Valley region early on Monday. This blast killed both fighters and civilians.

However, several local opposition figures and other authorities have accused the Pakistani military of carrying out night-time air raids as part of a counterterror operation targeting fighters in the mountainous region bordering Afghanistan. An official statement from the Pakistani government or armed forces has yet to be released.

According to a local police official quoted by The Associated Press, at least 10 civilians, including women and children, died, alongside at least 14 fighters. Two of the deceased fighters were identified as TTP commanders. Security forces have been conducting operations against the TTP in Khyber, Bajaur, and other parts of the northwest. The TTP, which emerged in 2007, wages an armed rebellion against the Pakistani government and is ideologically linked to, but distinct from, the Taliban in power in Afghanistan.

Iqbal Afridi, an opposition member of the National Assembly whose constituency includes Tirah, told AFP that Pakistani warplanes conducted air strikes that led to the explosions. Sohail Khan Afridi, another lawmaker speaking in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Assembly, also blamed the military for the attack, describing it as "nothing less than an attack on unarmed civilians."

Both politicians are members of the party led by jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, which governs the province. Babar Saleem Swati, the provincial assembly speaker, wrote on X that civilians were killed and homes destroyed "due to bombardment by jet aircraft," warning of negative consequences for the country. He called for a transparent investigation and compensation for affected families.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan expressed its shock at the deaths of civilians and children, demanding an immediate and impartial inquiry and accountability for those responsible. The independent monitor stated that the state is constitutionally obligated to protect the right to life for all civilians, a duty it has repeatedly failed to uphold.