Explosion at Pakistani Taliban compound kills 24, including civilians
[September 23, 2025]
By MUNIR AHMED
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Bomb-making material allegedly stored at a compound by
Pakistani Taliban fighters exploded before dawn Monday in the country’s
restive northwest, killing at least 24 people, including militants and
civilians, police and security officials said.
But conflicting accounts later emerged with a local lawmaker claiming
the deaths were instead caused by airstrikes in the Tirah Valley of
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
There was no comment from the military and security officials dismissed
the claim of a strike as baseless.
Earlier in the day, local police officer Zafar Khan said the massive
explosion killed at least 10 civilians, including women and children,
along with 14 militants.
But hours later, lawmaker Suhail Afridi told the provincial assembly
that all those killed were civilians and that the deaths resulted from
jets firing shells late Sunday.

Thousands of mourners attended the funerals of those killed in the
northwestern Tirah Valley location and later rallied against the
government, demanding justice for the dead.
As outrage grew online over the reported civilian deaths, the
independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said it was “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. It urged authorities to investigate and take action against
those responsible.
Three security officials said Monday there were no strikes in Tirah.
They said militants from the Pakistani Taliban had established an
improvised explosive device factory in the middle of a residential area.
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The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not
authorized to speak to the media. They said a massive blast happened
inside the militant facility, which then spread to nearby houses.
They said 12 to 14 militants were killed in the overnight explosion,
along with eight to 10 civilians who had been used as “human
shields.”
The officials said the blast ripped through the house where two
local Pakistani Taliban commanders, Aman Gul and Masood Khan, had
stored explosives to make roadside bombs. They said multiple blasts
were caused by the munitions stored at the compound.
Pakistan’s security forces are carrying out operations against the
Pakistani Taliban in Khyber, Bajaur and other parts of the
northwest. The operation in Bajaur began in August and it displaced
hundreds of thousands of people, who later went back after most
areas were cleared.
Pakistan has seen a surge in militant attacks, most claimed by the
Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, who
are allied with the Afghan Taliban. The TTP is a separate group but
has been emboldened since the Afghan Taliban’s return to power in
2021. Many TTP leaders and fighters are believed to have found
sanctuary in Afghanistan.
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