A bomb-making facility allegedly run by Pakistani Taliban fighters exploded on Monday in Pakistanโs northwest, killing at least 24 people, including militants and civilians.
A massive explosion occurred in the Tirah Valley of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province when a bomb-making facility, allegedly run by Pakistani Taliban fighters, detonated. The blast claimed the lives of at least 24 people, including 10 civilians women and children and 14 militants.The explosion caused significant destruction, including the complete destruction of several nearby homes. According to news agency ANI, several leaders from Pakistan’s Opposition party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), have alleged that a bombing campaign was being carried out by Pakistan Air Force (PAF) jets in the region.ย
The attack and its aftermathย
Local police officer Zafar Khan confirmed the casualties and stated that the bomb-making facility was believed to have been operated by two local Taliban commanders, Aman Gul and Masood Khan. According to reports, the facility was being used to produce bombs for militant attacks, which may have led to the deadly blast. The aftermath of the explosion was catastrophic. Local media reports stated that five homes belonging to local citizens were destroyed. “20 bodies have been recovered from the rubble so far, including women and children,” said one local source.
Condemnation of the attack by local leadersย
The attack has drawn strong condemnation from local lawmakers. Abdul Ghani Afridi, a member of the Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, accused the Pakistani government of targeting its own citizens in what he described as an “open crime against humanity.”
“If in Tirah Akakhel, our own protectors have mercilessly martyred innocent children, youth, and women, staining the earth with blood, this is an open crime against humanity,” Afridi said. He appealed to the international community and human rights organizations, urging them to raise their voices for the victims, just as they do for conflicts like Gaza.
Abdul Ghani Afridi also condemned the airstrikes as “state oppression,” calling the event a “minor apocalypse” for the people of Upper Tirah Akakhel.ย โThe valley where children once laughed heartily is now filled with their tiny corpses… This is open tyranny,โ Afridi said, demanding accountability for the deaths and justice for the victims’ families. โWe strongly condemn this barbarity. We demand that the blood of the martyrs must be accounted for,โ he added, emphasizing the need for justice and transparency.
There has been no official statement from the Pakistani government regarding the incident.
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