Airstrikes or 'accidental explosion'? At least 24 including women, children killed in northwest Pakistan

Peshawar: At least 24 people, including women and children, were killed and several others injured on Monday when explosive materials stored at a compound owned by the Pakistani Taliban exploded in northwest Pakistan, police said.

The incident took place in Tirah Valley’s Matur Dara area in Khyber district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, bordering Afghanistan.

The local administration denied the rumours about aerial strikes by the Pakistani fighter jets on the compound, saying the explosives used in bomb making exploded, causing the death of 24 people, including 14 militants.

At least 10 civilians, including women and children, were killed, along with 14 militants in the explosion, Station House Officer, Tirah police Station, Zafar Khan said.

The residents, however, claimed that the compound was hit by air strikes.

The compound had been home to a large number of local militant leaders and operatives, including dozens of Afghan fighters. It was regarded as a hub for the production of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and sniper training.

The militants have established centres within civilian populations, stockpiling explosives to restrict access for security forces. However, due to unsafe storage and training activities, these stockpiles often detonate, causing casualties.

There has been an uptick in the incidents of terrorism in Pakistan since the Taliban took over the government in Kabul in 2021, dashing hopes in Islamabad that a friendly government in Afghanistan would help to tackle militancy.