Bomb-making material stored at a compound by Pakistani Taliban fighters exploded before dawn Monday in the Tirah Valley of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killing 14 terrorists and 10 civilians.
According to US news agency Associated Press (AP), local police officer Zafar Khan said the massive explosion killed at least 10 civilians, including women and children, along with 14 militants.
Thousands of mourners attended the funerals of those civilians killed in the Tirah Valley location and later rallied against the government, demanding justice for the dead.
As outrage grew online over the reported civilian deaths, the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said it was “deeply shocked to learn that a number of civilians, including children, have been killed. It urged authorities to investigate and take action against those responsible.
Three security officials said Monday there were no airstrikes in Tirah. They said militants from the Pakistani Taliban had established an improvised explosive device factory in the middle of a residential area.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. They said a massive blast happened inside the militant facility, which then spread to nearby houses.
They said 12 to 14 militants were killed in the overnight explosion, along with eight to 10 civilians who had been used as “human shields.”
The officials said the blast ripped through the house where two local Pakistani Taliban commanders, Aman Gul and Masood Khan, had stored explosives to make roadside bombs. They said multiple blasts were caused by the munitions stored at the compound.