The Pakistani Airforce has killed its 30 civilians in the Matre Dara village in the Tirah Valley of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in the name of counter-terrorism operations. The Pakistani fighter jets bombed the region around 2AM on September 22, with L-S6 bombs leading to the death of innocent men, women and even children. Reports claim that many other people are critically injured.
The entire village was devastated and was reduced to rubbles. Images from the site exhibit bodies lying in open spaces, including that of the children. Villagers claim that the death toll is expected to spike as the rescue team undertake search operations. Eye witnesses say that while people were asleep, in the mid of the night, crowded neighbourhoods are bombed. An eyewitness exclaimed, “Matre Dara is littered with bodies”, homes were reduced to rubble and “livestock was destroyed”.
Deliberate action by Pakistan, not accidental
Analysts claim that the inhuman action by the Pakistani Airforce doesn’t seem to be an accidental bombing. The use of L-S6 precision glide bombs testifies that it was an intentional and deliberate bombing.
Experts also assert that this act of Pakistan is the violation of the international humanitarian law. Apparently, Pakistan does humanitarian catastrophes on its own citizens. Previously, many international NGOs and humanitarian organizations had raised concerns regarding the increasing atrocities of Pakistan on its civilians. The repeated drone strikes on the civilian establishments were defined as “shocking disregard for the civilian life”.
Killing innocent civilians in the name of counter-terrorism
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is the North-western province of Pakistan in proximity to Afghanistan, dominated by the tribal population and minority ethnic groups. The region has been historically targeted by the Pakistani defence forces in the name of counter-terrorism operations. This has led to the death of many innocent civilians in the region, since decades.
While notorious terrorists seek safe-haven in the elite provinces of the country such as Pakistan Punjab, Lahore etc. innocent civilians in the tribal belt are targeted under the banner of counter-terrorism operations. “Pakistani authorities have failed to take action to protect the lives and property of civilians in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa who continue to pay the price of an escalating number of drone strikes in the province”, quoted Amnesty International.
It is also said that in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor when Indian Armed Forces destroyed terror bases in POJK and in Pakistan mainland such as Punjab, Muridke, the terrorists are shifting their bases to regions such as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Establishing the terror bases deep inside the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa gives terrorists safe-havens. The province’s rough mountain terrains provide natural concealment to the terrorists and their infrastructure.
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