At least 25 dead after ‘explosives detonate’ in northwestern Pakistan

• Fighter jets bombed houses in Tirah Valley of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, claims opposition lawmaker
• Incident caused by detonation of ‘explosives hidden in a house by militants,’ claim security sources

ISTANBUL

More than two dozen people were killed overnight in northwestern Pakistan, with an opposition lawmaker claiming the casualties were caused by an aerial bombing; yet, security sources told Anadolu on Monday that "explosives hidden in a house by militants" detonated, resulting in the deaths.

The incident occurred overnight in the Tirah Valley of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to Iqbal Afridi, a member of the National Assembly from the main opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party.

Afridi said as many as 25 people, including children, lost their lives and blamed Pakistani fighter jets for bombing the houses, according to written and visual statements on the lawmaker’s account on the US social media company X.

However, security sources in Pakistan claimed that the explosives were “hidden in a house by militants (which) detonated last night, causing heavy militant casualties.”

“Some nearby houses were also damaged, and there are unconfirmed reports of women and children among the casualties. Security officials are still trying to verify these reports,” the sources shared details with Anadolu.

Pakistan is grappling with a rising insurgency along its border with Afghanistan, leading to frequent military counterterrorism operations that have also impacted civilian populations.

Reacting to the incident, Pakistan’s Human Rights Commission said it is "deeply shocked to learn that a number of civilians, including children, have been killed, allegedly as a result of aerial bombing" in the Tirah Valley.

"We demand that the authorities carry out an immediate and impartial inquiry into the incident and hold to account those responsible. The state is constitutionally bound to protect all civilians' right to life, which it has repeatedly failed to secure," the commission said in a statement posted on X.

Reports of local protests against the incident have also emerged from the region.

As of Monday evening, there was no official statement from either the Pakistani government or military regarding the incident.

Over the weekend, Pakistan’s military media wing said that security forces had killed seven “Indian-sponsored” terrorists, including two suicide bombers, in the general area of Kulachi in the Dera Ismail Khan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

There has been no response from Indian authorities to Islamabad’s claims.

Islamabad “expects the interim Afghan government to uphold its responsibilities and deny its soil for terrorist activities against Pakistan,” the military said in a statement on Saturday.

Kabul denies allegations that it allows its soil to be used against its neighbors.