Air Strikes in Tirah Valley Kill Dozens of Civilians; Pakistan Army Denies Responsibility

At least 30 civilians, including women and children, were killed in the early hours of Sunday when air strikes devastated Matre Dara village in the Tirah Valley of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. While local residents and intelligence sources attributed the assault to Pakistan Air Force (PAF) jets targeting suspected Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants, the Pakistan Army has denied responsibility, calling the incident a “terrorist munitions accident.”

According to intelligence officials, the operation was carried out around 2 a.m. with China-supplied JF-17 Thunder jets deploying at least eight LS-6 precision glide bombs. The strikes reportedly flattened homes, destroyed livestock, and left dozens trapped beneath rubble. Survivors described the attack as a “massacre,” saying families were asleep when the bombs struck densely populated neighborhoods. By dawn, eyewitnesses said the village was “littered with bodies,” with no evidence of militant casualties.

Analysts argue that the use of precision glide bombs indicates intent rather than collateral damage. Intelligence assessments have framed the attack as a potential violation of international humanitarian law, with critics alleging that Islamabad has repeatedly used counterterrorism as a pretext for internal repression. Comparisons were drawn to past military operations in the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), which rights groups have long accused of disproportionately targeting Pashtun civilians.

Local Protests and Tribal Anger
The Akakhel tribe convened a jirga (tribal council) following the strike, resolving to bury the women victims while placing the bodies of men and children outside the Corps Commander’s residence in protest. A sit-in has already begun at Khyber Chowk, where demonstrators accused the state of “slaughtering innocents under the cover of counterterrorism.” Calls for wider protests in Peshawar are mounting, with the Afridi tribe expected to announce a collective response.

Tribal elders and Pashtun activists have also taken to social media, accusing the government of war crimes and “ethnic cleansing tactics.” Observers warn that such incidents risk inflaming long-standing Pashtun grievances, deepening anti-state sentiment, and potentially fueling renewed militancy.

Pakistan Army’s Version
In contrast, the Pakistan Army categorically rejected claims of an air strike. Military spokespersons stated that a “large cache of explosives hidden by Khawarij terrorists” detonated within a house in Matre Dara, triggering the collapse of surrounding homes and causing civilian casualties. The statement alleged that 12–14 militants were killed alongside 8–10 civilians, whom militants had used as human shields. The Army maintained that the devastation was the result of terrorist tactics rather than state firepower.

However, intelligence sources challenged this account, citing confirmation of JF-17 deployment and the use of Chinese-manufactured glide bombs. They further suggested that Beijing’s role in supplying such systems raises questions of accountability at the international level.