According to multiple reports, at least 30 civilians, including women and children, were killed in airstrikes by the Pakistan Air Force in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Tirah Valley early Monday.
According to local media, JF-17 fighter jets dropped eight LS-6 bombs on Matre Dara village around 2 am. The strikes demolished houses and destroyed livestock as families slept. Eyewitnesses described the area as “scattered with bodies” by morning.
Local lawmaker Iqbal Afridi, in a video statement, accused the air force of directly targeting the village, which has a Pashtun-majority population. Authorities at both federal and provincial levels have yet to comment on the incident.
While the military reportedly aimed at Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) hideouts, all the victims were civilians. Several others were injured, though their condition remains unknown.
The incident occurred against the backdrop of ongoing anti-terror drives. On Sunday, the Pakistan Army said it killed seven TTP militants in Dera Ismail Khan, while earlier this month, 31 militants were reported dead in separate clashes.
Police data shows 605 terror incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa between January and August, killing at least 138 civilians and 79 police personnel. Militants such as Jaish-e-Mohammed and Hizbul Mujahideen are said to be moving deeper into the province, using its rugged terrain as cover.
