HRCP Demands Probe Into Alleged Civilian Deaths From ‘Aerial Bombing’ in Tirah

ISLAMABAD — The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) said on Monday it was “deeply shocked” by reports of several civilians allegedly killed in an “aerial bombing” in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Tirah valley, urging the authorities to launch an impartial investigation.

“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, Khyber district,” the rights body posted on X, stressing that the state was “constitutionally bound” to protect civilians’ right to life.

No official statement on the incident has yet been issued by government authorities.

Accounts from local officials and politicians, however, vary. A senior police officer told AFP on condition of anonymity that “the jets targeted four houses, which were completely destroyed,” though he did not specify who carried out the strikes.

In the provincial assembly, Speaker Babar Swati called for a “transparent and immediate investigation” while urging both federal and provincial governments to provide compensation and rehabilitation to the victims’ families. On his X account, Swati expressed grief over the “martyrdom of innocent civilians and the destruction of homes due to the bombardment by jet aircraft.”

Special Assistant to the Chief Minister for Communication and Works, Sohail Afridi, gave a different account during the KP Assembly session. He alleged that 25 people, including women and children, were killed when “mortar and bombs were dropped” in Tirah, accusing security forces of responsibility. These claims, however, remain unverified.

National Assembly member Mohammad Iqbal Khan Afridi also voiced sorrow, saying in a video message that elderly women and children were killed in “shelling by jets.” He urged residents to protest the incident, warning that “the killing of civilians has become a routine.”

The alleged strike in Tirah comes against the backdrop of earlier controversial incidents. In May, 22 people, including seven children, were injured in an alleged quadcopter strike in South Waziristan’s Wana tehsil. A week prior, four children were killed and five injured in a suspected drone munitions drop in North Waziristan’s Mir Ali tehsil. The military later denied involvement in that case, stating that the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) was responsible and that security forces were “falsely implicated.”