At least 30 people, including several women and children, were killed on Monday when Pakistani Air Force fighter jets dropped bombs on a village in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Tirah valley, triggering an international outcry. The early morning strikes devastated the Pashtun-majority settlement of Matre Dara, flattening homes and leaving behind scenes of carnage captured in videos now circulating widely on social media.
According to reports, JF-17 Thunder jets carried out the operation, firing eight LS-6 precision-guided bombs on the area. The explosions ripped through the village, destroying at least five homes and killing entire families. Rescue teams continue to comb through the rubble, and officials warn that the death toll may climb further as many remain critically injured.
Images and footage shared by local journalists and human rights groups showed lifeless bodies, including children, lying amid wreckage. The harrowing visuals sparked an immediate wave of criticism from rights defenders and political voices alike, with many accusing the Pakistani military of targeting civilians.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa branch of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) expressed shock and grief over the bombings. In a statement posted on X, the party said: “During the jet aircraft bombing in the Tirah Valley, several bombs fell on the local population. Five houses of local citizens were destroyed, and according to local sources, 20 bodies have been recovered so far, including children and women among the martyrs. I have no words that can encompass this sorrow and grief.” The party also warned that repeated military actions in civilian areas would only deepen resentment and sow seeds of long-term instability.
The strikes have been condemned internationally, with human rights activists accusing Pakistan of committing war crimes. Baloch activist Mir Yar Baloch described the attack as a deliberate targeting of innocent civilians. Calling it “nothing less than a war crime,” he urged the global community to break its silence. “The world must no longer remain silent while Pakistan continues its genocidal campaign against nations under its illegal occupation. Pakistan must be declared a country liberated from the chains of colonial rule,” Mir posted on X.
He further expressed solidarity with the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on behalf of the Baloch people, underlining that the sacrifices of the Pashtun community would not be forgotten. “The voices of resistance cannot be silenced, and together we will expose Pakistan’s crimes against humanity before the civilized world,” he said.
The bombing comes against a backdrop of escalating tensions in Pakistan’s tribal belt, where residents have long accused the military of using disproportionate force under the guise of counterterrorism operations. Civil society groups argue that such actions have led to widespread displacement, loss of livelihoods, and recurring cycles of violence.
International human rights organisations have already begun pressing for accountability. Several watchdogs have noted that the bombing of residential areas violates international humanitarian law, which prohibits deliberate or indiscriminate attacks on civilians. Critics warn that without global intervention, Pakistan’s military operations in its frontier regions risk spiraling into further humanitarian crises.
For the people of Matre Dara, however, the devastation is immediate and personal. Entire families have been wiped out, survivors are left with nothing but ruins, and an already fragile region faces yet another blow to peace and stability.
As calls for accountability grow louder, the bombing of Tirah valley has once again spotlighted Pakistan’s deepening internal strife, and the human cost borne disproportionately by its marginalized communities.
