Pakistan Air Force Bombs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa With Chinese Jets, 30 Killed
Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa air strikes kill 30 civilians as Chinese-made fighter jets drop bombs. Islamabad blames TTP, but locals decry rising civilian casualties.
Smoke rises over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after Pakistan Air Force air strikes using Chinese-made JF-17 jets, killing 30 civilians.
During at least 30 people, including women and children, were killed on Monday following the Pakistan Air Force air strikes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which has long been plagued by militancy.
Chinese Jets, Bombs
According to the reports, China-made JF-17 fighter jets dropped eight LS-6 PG bombs on a village within Tirah Valley at about 2 a.m. Pakistani officials alleged that the strike was on a Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) bomb-making facility, claiming that the group was using civilians as "human shields."
Two TTP commanders, Aman Gul and Masood Khan, who were allegedly operating from the site where crude explosives could also be stored in nearby mosques, were named by police sources.
Increasing Casualty Toll
The air strikes have aroused irate feelings among the locals for what they see as carelessness on the part of Islamabad in carrying out operations that kill a huge number of civilians. The opposition party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) condemned the strikes, claiming that these bombings have "sown seeds of hatred" and have created distrust.
Civilian casualties during anti-terror campaigns in the province are not something uncommon. In the early few months of 2022, 10 civilians had lost their lives in Katlang, and in June, Amnesty International had accused Pakistan of showing an “alarming disregard for civilian life.”
Violent Times
Just days after a TTP ambush in South Waziristan killed 12 Pakistani soldiers, the latest strike was carried out. The TTP took online responsibility. According to officials, terror activities have increased in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021.
Pakistan has often dragged Kabul for allowing the TTP fighters to roam free, but the Taliban government has denied those allegations, reminding Islamabad that it must mend its “internal security failures.”
Why Khyber Matters
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, along the Afghan border, is a rugged and remote province that has served as a militant base since the Soviet-Afghan war. Decades of weapon inflows, cross-border tunnels, and difficult terrain have made it a stronghold for terror groups, including Jaish-e-Mohammed and Hizbul Mujahideen, who are believed to have shifted their operations here after India’s Operation Sindoor.
With its mountainous terrain, being difficult to monitor, and strategically situated near the Khyber Pass, conflict has remained constant for Pakistan’s military campaigns.
The Bigger Picture
From the standpoint of an analyst, the most recent strike seems to highlight the inability of the Pakistani state to contain militancy and the human cost of its military lines of operation. While Islamabad insists its actions are targeted against terror networks, its critics argue that half-baked intelligence coupled with heavy-handed tactics is alienating one more civilian into resentment and possibly more radicalization.
