Tragedy and Tensions: Explosions in Khyber District
At least 24 people, mostly civilians, died in explosions in northwestern Pakistan near the Afghan border. Discrepancies exist about the blasts' nature, with local assertions of airstrikes conflicting with officials' claims of a munitions dump explosion. Protests ensued, with officials condemning civilian casualties.
In a devastating series of explosions in northwestern Pakistan's Khyber District, at least 24 people, predominantly civilians, lost their lives late Sunday near the Afghan border, according to government officials and local residents.
Divergent accounts have emerged regarding the cause of the blasts. Residents allege that Pakistani fighter jets targeted four homes, while security officials refute this, attributing the explosions instead to an accidental detonation in a munitions dump within a militant hideout. This issue remains sensitive, with the Pakistani military declining to comment.
Tensions were high in the remote Tirah Valley, where local residents protested the deadly incident before proceeding with the burials. The provincial chief minister labeled the civilian deaths tragic and unacceptable and announced compensation for the deceased's families.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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