Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: At least 30 civilians, including women and children, were reportedly killed in the early hours of Sunday when Pakistani fighter jets allegedly struck Matre Dara village, according to media reports.
The assault occurred around 2:00 am, flattening homes and leaving numerous residents trapped under the rubble. Sources cited by News18 reported that China-supplied JF-17 Thunder jets dropped at least eight LS-6 precision glide bombs on the civilian settlement, creating multiple blast zones. Survivors described the scene as a “massacre,” noting bodies lying exposed and destroyed livestock, insisting there was no militant presence in the area.
In response, tribal leaders from the Akakhel community held a jirga, deciding to bury women victims while placing the bodies of men and children outside the Corps Commander’s House in protest. A sit-in protest has also begun at Khyber Chowk, with demonstrators accusing authorities of targeting innocents under the guise of counter-terrorism.
The Pakistan Army has denied carrying out air strikes. In a statement cited by NDTV, it claimed the blast resulted from a terrorist munitions accident, saying, “A large cache of explosives hidden by Khawarij terrorists” detonated inside a house, killing both militants and civilians. Military officials further alleged that militants had positioned compounds near family homes and mosques, which led to civilian casualties.
However, intelligence officials contradicted the military’s account, confirming the use of JF-17 jets and Chinese-supplied weapons.
