In a tragic incident on Monday, at least 23 civilians lost their lives due to aerial bombing in a remote border area of Pakistan, an area grappling with rising militancy. This incident has stirred significant outrage and accusations against the military’s involvement in what opposition members are calling a counter-terrorism operation. As of now, no official statement has been released by either the government or the armed forces regarding the bombing.
The Pakistani Taliban (TTP) has been increasingly active, launching numerous attacks against security forces in the mountainous regions of Khyber Pakhtunkwa province, which borders Afghanistan. Iqbal Afridi, an opposition member of the National Assembly representing the constituency where the bombing occurred, asserted to AFP, “It was the security force’s aircraft that carried out the shelling. It’s their shelling that killed 23 people.” This sentiment was echoed by provincial MP Sohail Khan Afridi, who condemned the assault as an aggression against unarmed civilians, labeling it “nothing less than an attack.”
Both Afridi and Khan are affiliated with former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party, which currently holds power in Khyber Pakhtunkwa. A senior police officer in the town of Tirah, where the attack took place, confirmed that seven women and four children were among those killed but refrained from attributing responsibility for the assault. He noted that the jets targeted four houses, which were completely destroyed, in an area known for its TTP hideouts.
A security officer in Peshawar corroborated the death toll, mentioning the presence of multiple TTP hideouts in the vicinity where militants live with their families. He too declined to identify those responsible for the bombing.
In response to the tragedy, approximately 2,000 people gathered later in the day in a nearby town to protest against the military operation. The TTP, which previously controlled large territories along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, has intensified its campaign against security forces following a counter-terrorism offensive that began in 2014, displacing and claiming the lives of tens of thousands of civilians.
Local village councils have expressed growing concerns over the potential for another military offensive in response to the increasing violence, fearing it might threaten civilian lives.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has voiced its deep shock over the civilian casualties from the bombing, demanding an immediate and impartial inquiry into the incident and accountability for those responsible. As tensions mount in the region, the call for transparency and justice continues to resonate among citizens and officials alike.
