Bomb-making material allegedly stored at a compound by the terrorists of Fitna al-Khawarij (the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP) exploded on Monday in the country’s restive northwest, killing at least 24 people, including Khawarij and civilians, police said.
The blast occurred in the Tirah Valley of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, destroying several nearby homes, a report published by AP News revealed.
Local police officer Zafar Khan confirmed that the explosion killed at least 10 civilians, including women and children, as well as 14 Khawarij. Khan alleged that two local khariji commanders, Aman Gul and Masood Khan, had set up hideouts in the compound, which was being used to manufacture roadside bombs. He also accused the Khawarij of using civilians as human shields and said they had recently stored weapons in mosques in other districts.
Pakistan’s security forces have been actively conducting operations against the Khawarij in Khyber, Bajaur, and other regions of the northwest.
The country has seen a rise in terrorist attacks, most of them claimed by the Khawarij, or Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), who have ties with the Afghan Taliban. Though a separate entity, the TTP has gained momentum since the Afghan Taliban’s return to power in 2021, with many of its leaders and fighters believed to be taking refuge in Afghanistan.
