Tirah Valley – At least 25 people, including 14 militants and 10 civilians, were killed in a powerful explosion at an improvised explosive device (IED) manufacturing facility in the Akakhel area of Tirah Valley, Khyber district, late Sunday night.
According to ground sources, the blast occurred inside an IED factory run by militants linked to the banned Tehreek-e-Lashkar-e-Islam Pakistan (TLIP), commanded by Amaan Gul and Masood Tashkeel. The explosion tore through the compound and destroyed at least five nearby houses.
“There was an initial large explosion inside the IED factory, which engulfed surrounding houses,” a police officer said. “The terrorists were using the civilian population as human shields, resulting in collateral damage.”
Controversy and Disinformation
The incident was quickly followed by online disinformation, as posts on social media alleged the Pakistan Air Force had struck civilian areas. Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) activists and certain political groups circulated old images online, attempting to portray the tragedy as “Pakistan Army airstrikes.”
Authorities said the images were unrelated to the Tirah blast and had been deliberately recirculated to mislead the public, discredit state institutions, and reinforce militant propaganda.
Investigations later confirmed the images were from past incidents, deliberately repurposed to mislead the public, discredit state institutions, and reinforce the militants’ narrative.
Adding to the controversy, Pakistan Tehreek Insaf (PTI) opposition lawmaker Sohail Afridi claimed in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly that civilians were killed in airstrikes, a charge echoed by PTI’s Iqbal Afridi in comments to AFP, where he alleged that “23 people were killed in security forces’ shelling.”
Security officials and eyewitnesses, however, firmly rejected these claims, stating the casualties were caused by militants’ own stockpiled explosives. Authorities maintained that the recirculated images were part of a deliberate disinformation campaign designed to fuel anti-state propaganda.
Militants Using Civilians as Shields
This is not the first time militants have endangered civilians by embedding themselves in populated areas. In Bajaur and Waziristan, videos have surfaced of fighters occupying mosques and hujras (community guesthouses) as hideouts and storage depots.
Just days earlier in Baka Khel, Bannu, a militant named Siddiqullah Gurbaz had converted PTI leader Shah Muhammad Wazir’s jirga hall into a militant hub, where another accidental blast caused extensive damage.
Analysts say such tactics underscore that militants remain the greatest threat not only to the state but also to local communities who are forced to live alongside explosives and armed groups.
Military’s Position and Reality on the Ground
The Pakistan Army categorically denied conducting any airstrikes in Tirah Valley, stressing that operations are always limited to terrorists, not civilians.
Officials noted that militants had stored large quantities of explosives in a densely populated neighborhood. Their careless storage and reckless behavior led to the catastrophic explosion.
Sources added that militants cordoned off the site after the explosion, blocking residents and media from entering. Afghan fighters killed in the blast were reportedly removed by Taliban elements in an attempt to manipulate the narrative and portray militants as “victims.”
Security analysts emphasize that the tragedy highlights the urgent need for counterterrorism operations to dismantle militant compounds before further civilian casualties occur.
A local social worker said:“Our villagers are exhausted by the presence of these Kharijites. They keep explosives inside homes and then use our children as shields.”
Authorities stressed that the real culprits are those who stockpile explosives inside homes, turn mosques into bases, and use civilians as shields, not the armed forces working to ensure peace and security.
Analysts warn that unless militant safe houses are dismantled, civilian populations in Khyber and beyond will continue to bear the brunt of insurgent violence.
