Explosions in Pakistan’s Tirah Valley kill 24, civilians caught in crossfire

​Four explosions killed at least 24 people, including civilians, women and children in northwestern Pakistan near the Afghan border late on Sunday night. Locals claim it was a military airstrike; authorities say it stemmed from stored bomb-making materials.

Authorities say the blast was caused by stored bomb-making materials in a compound run by the Pakistani Taliban. Homes nearby were destroyed in the explosion. 

The officials said, citing local sources, that four militants lived in one of the houses that were destroyed. The rest of the fatalities were civilians, they said.

At least 12 children were killed, resident Mohammad Ali Shinwari said.

However, some residents and lawmakers say it was not an accident but an airstrike by military jets that hit the compound and surrounding houses. 

Security officials deny the claim of an airstrike. They maintain there were no military jets involved, and that the explosion was an internal accident at an explosives facility in a residential area. 

The incident triggered protests in the area. Local community leaders and human rights groups are demanding an independent investigation, saying civilians were killed, possibly used as human shields. 

The chief minister announced compensation of 10 million Pakistani rupees ($35,300) for each civilian killed in the incident, his office said, without mentioning how many of those killed were civilians.

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