ISLAMABAD \u2014 The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) said on Monday it was \u201cdeeply shocked\u201d by reports of several civilians allegedly killed in an \u201caerial bombing\u201d in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa\u2019s Tirah valley, urging the authorities to launch an impartial investigation.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe 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,\u201d the rights body posted on X, stressing that the state was \u201cconstitutionally bound\u201d to protect civilians\u2019 right to life.<\/p>\n
No official statement on the incident has yet been issued by government authorities.<\/p>\n
Accounts from local officials and politicians, however, vary. A senior police officer told AFP on condition of anonymity that \u201cthe jets targeted four houses, which were completely destroyed,\u201d though he did not specify who carried out the strikes.<\/p>\n
In the provincial assembly, Speaker Babar Swati called for a \u201ctransparent and immediate investigation\u201d while urging both federal and provincial governments to provide compensation and rehabilitation to the victims\u2019 families. On his X account, Swati expressed grief over the \u201cmartyrdom of innocent civilians and the destruction of homes due to the bombardment by jet aircraft.\u201d<\/p>\n
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 \u201cmortar and bombs were dropped\u201d in Tirah, accusing security forces of responsibility. These claims, however, remain unverified.<\/p>\n
National Assembly member Mohammad Iqbal Khan Afridi also voiced sorrow, saying in a video message that elderly women and children were killed in \u201cshelling by jets.\u201d He urged residents to protest the incident, warning that \u201cthe killing of civilians has become a routine.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\u2019s Wana tehsil. A week prior, four children were killed and five injured in a suspected drone munitions drop in North Waziristan\u2019s 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 \u201cfalsely implicated.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD \u2014 The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) said on Monday it was \u201cdeeply shocked\u201d by reports of several civilians allegedly killed in an \u201caerial bombing\u201d in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa\u2019s Tirah valley, urging the authorities to launch an impartial investigation. \u201cThe HRCP is deeply shocked to learn that a number of civilians, including children, have …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":50192,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[81],"class_list":["post-50191","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pakistan","tag-headline"],"yoast_head":"\n