24 killed in blast at TTP compound in northwest Pak, locals say 'air strikes' destroyed complex

Peshawar, Sept 22 (PTI) At least 24 people, including women and children, were killed and several others injured on Monday when explosive materials stored at a compound owned by the Pakistani Taliban exploded in northwest Pakistan, police said.

The residents, however, claimed that air strikes hit the compound in Tirah Valley’s Matur Dara area in Khyber district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, bordering Afghanistan.

No official statement has been issued by the government regarding the tragedy.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party's provincial branch claimed that the "jet bombing" in the Tirah Valley destroyed five houses. It said that 20 bodies have been recovered from the rubble.

The local administration denied the claims about aerial strikes by the Pakistani fighter jets on the compound, saying the explosives used in bomb making exploded, causing the death of 24 people, including 14 militants.

At least 10 civilians, including women and children, were killed, along with 14 militants in the explosion, Station House Officer, Tirah police Station, Zafar Khan said.

The compound had been home to a large number of local militant leaders and operatives, including dozens of Afghan fighters. It was regarded as a hub for the production of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and sniper training.

The locals have announced the closure of Bara Bazaar, demanding accountability and protection.

Protesters accused government authorities of failing to ensure the safety of citizens and called upon elected representatives to play an active role in addressing the community’s grievances.

Mohammad Iqbal Khan Afridi, Member of the National Assembly from Khyber, expressed grief in a video message, saying women and children were among those killed in the “shelling by jets.”  He urged residents to protest the killings, adding that “the killing of civilians has become routine.” "Due to the bombing by jet aircraft, 21 innocent citizens, including innocent children and helpless women, were killed," Provincial Assembly lawmaker Abdul Ghani Afridi said in a post on social media.

"The blood of the innocent people will not go to waste, and we will raise this voice on every forum. We will not rest until justice is achieved," he said.

Meanwhile, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) expressed concern over civilian casualties in alleged "aerial bombings" in the Tirah Valley and called for an immediate inquiry.

“The HRCP is deeply shocked to learn that a number of civilians, including children, have been killed, allegedly as a result of aerial bombing in Tirah,” the rights body posted on X.  It urged authorities to conduct “an immediate and impartial inquiry into the incident and hold to account those responsible,” stressing that the state is constitutionally bound to protect civilians’ right to life, which it has "repeatedly failed to secure.” The militants have established centres within civilian populations, stockpiling explosives to restrict access for security forces. However, due to unsafe storage and training activities, these stockpiles often detonate, causing casualties, police said.

There has been an uptick in the incidents of terrorism in Pakistan since the Taliban took over the government in Kabul in 2021, dashing hopes in Islamabad that a friendly government in Afghanistan would help to tackle militancy. PTI AYZ ZH ZH