BY PC Bureau
September 22: At least 30 civilians, including women and children, were killed in airstrikes conducted by the Pakistan Air Force on Matre Dara village in the Tirah Valley of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on September 22, 2025.
The strikes occurred at approximately 2:00 a.m. local time, when Pakistani fighter jets reportedly dropped eight LS-6 precision-guided bombs on the remote village. Matre Dara is located in a region historically associated with militant activity near the Afghanistan border, though local authorities stress that the casualties were entirely civilian.
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Eyewitnesses and rescue teams described scenes of devastation: bodies were recovered from multiple impact sites, homes were obliterated, and fires broke out across the village following the explosions. Survivors recounted harrowing experiences of being trapped under debris and fleeing in darkness as the strikes hit. Provincial officials in Peshawar confirmed the casualty figures and described the incident as a “huge massacre” based on initial assessments.
The airstrikes occurred amid heightened tensions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, following India’s Operation Sindoor on May 7, 2025, which targeted nine terrorist hideouts across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. That operation, conducted by the Indian Air Force, destroyed facilities linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed and Hizbul Mujahideen, prompting reports that these groups relocated deeper into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa near the Afghanistan frontier.
Shameful act by Pakistan🚨
30 Killed
20 InjuredPakistani military carried out an airstrike on a residential settlement last night,
Air Force (PAF) used JF-17 fighter jets to drop at least 8 LS-6 bombs on the village.
📍Matre Dara, Tirah Valley, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Video 📷 pic.twitter.com/uC2qjznoAy
— Mayank (@mayankcdp) September 22, 2025
Police and security data indicates that from January to August 2025, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa experienced 605 terror-related incidents, resulting in 138 civilian deaths and 79 fatalities among police personnel. The Matre Dara strike alone now represents one of the deadliest single-incident civilian casualties within Pakistan’s borders in recent years, surpassing the toll of previous military operations in the province.
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The Pakistan military has not issued an official statement regarding the airstrikes as of 6:00 p.m. local time. No further details on the intended targets were released, and authorities have yet to confirm whether the operation aimed at suspected militants or was a broader security sweep.
Residents and local leaders have called for an independent investigation into the strikes, demanding accountability for the civilian deaths. Humanitarian agencies are reportedly mobilizing aid for survivors, who face the dual challenge of trauma and loss of shelter after the bombardment.
