KNT Web Desk: At least 24 people, including women and children, were killed on Monday when a stockpile of explosive materials went off inside a compound linked to Pakistani Taliban militants in Tirah Valley’s Matur Dara area of Khyber district in northwest Pakistan. Several others were injured in the powerful blast, which left the region shaken and reignited concerns over militant networks operating within civilian areas.
Police officials confirmed that the explosion occurred due to unsafe storage of bomb-making material. Station House Officer of Tirah Police Station, Zafar Khan, said the fatalities included 14 militants and 10 civilians, among them women and children. “The explosion was not the result of an aerial strike. It was triggered inside the compound itself, where large amounts of explosives were being stored,” he said.
The compound, according to officials, had long been regarded as a hub for militant activity. It housed local commanders, Afghan fighters, and served as a centre for the production of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and sniper training. The explosion not only destroyed sections of the compound but also inflicted heavy casualties on those present at the site.
Despite official statements, rumours quickly spread across the region that the compound had been hit by Pakistani air strikes. Locals said they heard sounds similar to jet aircraft before the explosion. “We believe it was an air attack. Such devastation cannot be caused by accident alone,” one resident of Matur Dara claimed. However, the local administration categorically denied these reports, maintaining that no jets were deployed in the area on Monday.
Security experts say the tragedy highlights the inherent risks of militants embedding themselves within civilian populations. By storing explosives in such environments, they not only endanger their own ranks but also place local families at extreme risk. “This is not the first time we have seen militant stockpiles detonate due to mishandling or unsafe storage. These groups use villages as shields, and when things go wrong, it is ordinary people who pay the price,” a retired Pakistani security official said.
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The explosion has brought renewed focus on the broader security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a region that has faced escalating militant violence since the Taliban takeover in Kabul in 2021. Islamabad had initially hoped that a Taliban-led government in Afghanistan would help curb militancy on its soil, but instead, Pakistan has seen a sharp rise in cross-border infiltration, attacks on security forces, and the re-emergence of Pakistani Taliban strongholds.
Human rights advocates also raised alarm over the growing number of civilian casualties linked to militant activities in tribal areas. “Women and children are once again bearing the brunt of this conflict. Whether through crossfire, displacement, or reckless militant practices, their lives are constantly at risk,” said a Peshawar-based activist.
The incident has deepened fears among locals in Khyber district, many of whom have long lived under the shadow of militant networks. A trader from Tirah Valley said people were too afraid to speak openly about the presence of Taliban-linked groups. “They keep their compounds close to civilian houses. We are helpless. Even if we want to move away, where can we go?” he asked.
Authorities said rescue operations were hampered by the remote terrain of Tirah Valley, which borders Afghanistan and is difficult to access quickly. Injured individuals were shifted to hospitals in Jamrud and Peshawar, where doctors described the condition of several patients as critical.
Analysts believe the blast may weaken the operational capacity of militants in the short term but warned that the deeper challenge remains unresolved. “The Taliban’s entrenchment in Khyber and adjoining districts is not just about weapons storage. They have networks of training, recruitment, and financial support that cannot be dismantled by one accident alone,” said a security researcher in Islamabad.
As the dust settles in Matur Dara, the incident serves as a grim reminder of the volatile mix of militancy and civilian vulnerability in Pakistan’s borderlands. For the families of those killed, however, the tragedy is more personal—a sudden loss in a conflict where accountability remains elusive.
