At least 30 civilians, including women and children, were killed in an overnight airstrike carried out by the Pakistani Air Force in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Monday. The attack occurred around 2 a.m. in the remote Matre Dara village in the Tirah Valley, where eight LS-6 precision-guided bombs were reportedly dropped by Pakistani fighter jets. The strike caused widespread destruction and civilian casualties, with distressing images from the site showing bodies — including those of young children — scattered among the rubble.
Local media reports indicate several others were injured, although the exact number and their condition remain unclear. Rescue efforts are still underway as teams search through debris, raising fears that the death toll may climb further. No militant presence has been confirmed in the area at the time of the strike, and all those reported dead were civilians.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a province bordering Afghanistan, has seen repeated military operations and airstrikes in recent years, many of which have resulted in civilian casualties. The region remains a hotspot for counter-terrorism operations targeting groups such as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and Hizbul Mujahideen (HM). Human rights organisations have raised concerns over the repeated use of air power in civilian areas.
Amnesty International has previously criticised Pakistan’s handling of such operations. In June, the group condemned what it called an “alarming disregard for civilian life,” referencing drone strikes that killed civilians, including children. “Pakistani authorities have failed to take action to protect the lives and property of civilians in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa who continue to pay the price of an escalating number of drones strikes in the province,” Isabelle Lassee, Deputy Regional Director for South Asia at Amnesty International, said at the time.
According to data from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police, the province witnessed 605 terror-related incidents between January and August this year, resulting in the deaths of at least 138 civilians and 79 police personnel. August alone saw 129 incidents, including the deaths of six personnel from the Pakistan Army and paramilitary Federal Constabulary. The latest strike comes amid increased militant activity in the region. Following India’s Operation Sindoor — which reportedly destroyed several terrorist camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir — terrorist groups are believed to be relocating their bases to more remote area. The province’s mountainous landscape and proximity to Afghanistan provide natural cover for such movements.
Many of these areas still contain infrastructure from past conflicts, including the anti-Soviet jihad of the 1980s and the post-9/11 American-led war in Afghanistan. Security experts say these old networks continue to enable the regrouping and hiding of terror outfits. The Pakistani military has not yet issued an official statement regarding Monday’s airstrike. Public outrage and calls for accountability are growing, with human rights organisations and political leaders demanding an investigation into what many are calling a tragic case of mistaken targeting.
