Protests erupt in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after Pak airstrike: Bodies to be placed outside Corps Commander House

File Image - Pakistani paramilitary soldiers stand guard at Torkham border crossing, in Khyber district, Pakistan.

A sit-in protest is underway at Khyber Chowk against the killing of 30 innocent people in Tirah Valley on Monday, while another protest may be announced in Peshawar, CNN-News18 reported. According to local sources, the Akakhel tribe of Tirah has decided that women victims will be buried, while the bodies of men and children will be placed in front of the Corps Commander House.

The violence follows airstrikes and counter-terror operations carried out by Pakistan targeting hideouts of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and surrounding districts. The strikes occurred around 2 am when Pakistani fighter jets dropped eight LS-6 bombs on Matre Dara village in the Tirah Valley, resulting in civilian casualties.

These operations are part of Islamabad’s intensified crackdown in response to a rise in militant attacks claimed by the TTP, particularly in northwest Pakistan. In a recent operation, Pakistan reported that 31 militants were killed during overnight raids in the Bannu and Laki Marwat districts of KP. Officials said these raids aim to target militant infrastructure and leadership to reduce the TTP’s capacity for attacks.

However, some operations have sparked controversy due to civilian casualties. For instance, a drone strike in March 2025 in Katlang, Mardan District, KP, claimed by the military to have targeted militants, reportedly caused civilian deaths, according to local sources. Similarly, in May 2025, a drone strike in Hurmuz village, North Waziristan, reportedly killed four children and injured others.

Meanwhile, Pakistani politician Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman has alleged that authorities are involved in enforced disappearances and abductions in Balochistan, where thousands of youth and activists have gone missing over the years.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, located in northwestern Pakistan along the Afghan border, has a population of about 4 crore people and covers 1,01,741 square kilometres. The province is predominantly Pashtun, making up 75–80 percent of the population, with smaller ethnic and linguistic communities including Hindko, Chitrali, and Kohistani. Pashto is the dominant language, though Hindi and Urdu are spoken by some communities.

Despite its distinct cultural identity, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was incorporated into Pakistan through a process that many argue lacked legitimacy. Historical resentment over the merger has contributed to political instability in the province for decades. Today, several separatist and militant movements continue to challenge the Pakistani government’s control over the region.