Policymakers, security forces, and law enforcement officials had long warned of a deepening nexus involving drugs, local politics and militant facilitation in Khyber district, which borders Afghanistan. The remote Tirah Valley, in particular, was seen as vulnerable. A new video circulating on social media has not only confirmed these concerns, it has exposed an even more disturbing reality.
The footage shows two bodies lying on the ground and a group of local men gathered around them. One man, identified in the video as an imam, is seen addressing those present and identifying the deceased individuals. According to him, one of the men is Tayyab, son of Amin, from the Zakhakhel tribe, while the other is Bagh Zareen, son of Noor Zamin, belonging to the Akakhel tribe.
The imam states that both were killed a day earlier during an exchange of fire between Pakistan Army personnel and militants from Ittihad ul Mujahideen Pakistan, a group whose sub faction, Lashkar e Islam, has remained active in the region. The imam adds that their bodies were left at the clash site, and later collected by security forces.
He goes on to describe how he and a delegation visited the military camp, held a jirga with security officials and pleaded for the bodies to be handed over so that the families could view them for closure and funerary rites.
The video has reinforced long standing concerns among security officials that certain tribal elements in Tirah are not only facilitating militants but also justifying terror attacks inside Pakistan, similar to the ideological motivations seen across the border among Afghan Taliban supporters.
The incident has highlighted the urgent need for decisive action against the entrenched nexus of narcotics networks, political actors and militant groups operating in Khyber district, particularly in Tirah Valley. The sooner, the better.
