Clashes force mass flight from Tirah

Hundreds flee homes in valley as fierce fighting and mortar shelling leave civilians dead and injured

BARA:

Hundreds of residents from Khyber District's Tirah Maidan Valley have been forced to flee their homes amid escalating clashes between security forces and TTP terrorists.

Heavy exchange of fire and mortar shelling in populated areas have left several civilians, including women and children, dead or injured, prompting a mass displacement towards Bara and surrounding regions.

Local elder Mohammad Rasool Afridi from the Bar Qamberkhel area told The Express Tribune that fierce fighting has engulfed several parts of the valley.

"Mortar shells have struck homes and mosques, killing innocent people," he said. "Families carried the bodies of their loved ones through rugged mountain paths to reach Bara. Fear has forced residents to abandon their homes filled with belongings."

Afridi said that up to 400 families from the Darbi Khel, Suleman Khel, Masti Khel, and Khan Be Khel areas have already migrated to Bara and nearby settlements. "No response has yet come from the district administration or the provincial government," he lamented. "People have been displaced on their own, without any official assistance."

Senior JUI-F leader and tribal elder Hameedullah Jan Afridi confirmed that the situation in Tirah Valley had become dire. "Civilians are suffering as mortar shells land in residential areas. Many have lost their lives or sustained injuries," he said. "Hundreds have already left their villages, moving towards Bara for safety."

Hameedullah Jan criticized the government's handling of the crisis, saying that local elders and the Bara Political Alliance had previously held several jirgas with government officials. "The administration asked residents to vacate the area for a military operation, but such a demand was unacceptable," he said. "Becoming IDPs is not easy, yet the intensity of the fighting has left people with no choice."

He added that elders from Bar Qamberkhel have now advised all tribes to vacate the conflict zones. "Other Afridi sub-tribes living in Tirah have also been warned to move out," he said.

Meanwhile, tribal notable Saeedullah Afridi said that several mortar shells had recently landed on houses and mosques in Bar Qamberkhel, killing and injuring men, women, and children. "Families have walked up to three kilometers on foot in mountains before finding transport to Bara," he said. "If the situation worsens and more people flee, local elders in Bara plan to set up relief and facilitation centers along the main road from Tirah to Bara."

When contacted, the Personal Assistant to the Deputy Commissioner of Khyber told The Express Tribune that the administration had not yet received reports of internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Tirah. "Once people start arriving, necessary arrangements will be made," he added.

However, on the ground, the displaced families tell a different story — one of fear, loss, and abandonment, as they leave behind their homes, lands, and memories in search of safety.