massive explosion ripped through a residential compound in Tirah valley of Khyber district, killing at least 24 people, including women and children. Initial social media posts claimed that the explosion was the result of an airstrike. Subsequent investigations by local police revealed the bitter truth — the blast had been caused by explosives stored in the house by militants linked to the Tehreek-i- Taliban Pakistan.

According to Major Muhammad Irfan (retired) “The militants store their explosives in residential quarters; when there is a disaster, they blame the authorities.”

This practice has become alarmingly common in the tribal districts. A 2023 report by the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies found that nearly 34 percent of militant attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa involved the use of civilian structures — homes, mosques and madrassas — as storage, logistics or operational bases. By embedding themselves within villages, the militants not only endanger their neighbours but also seek to manipulate narratives to deflect blame.
The Tirah valley explosion was one of several incidents of the kind in recent years. Earlier this year, in Tank district, seven people — including three children — were killed when a car bomb exploded outside a militant safe house. Security forces later discovered caches of explosives and detonators stored near more residential blocks. Similar blasts have occurred in North Waziristan, Bajaur and South Khyber. The militants have turned civilian life into their camouflage.

For people living in Khyber, the very concept of “home” has changed. Traditionally, the mud-walled compounds have been........

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