Nabeeha Fajar Javed
On the morning of 22 September 2025, a storm of outrage swept across the internet. Social media timelines exploded with harrowing images of wounded children, crumbled homes, and claims that Pakistani fighter jets had bombed civilians in Tirah Valley. But behind the viral posts and emotional headlines lay something far more sinister, a meticulously crafted web of lies.
The internet was flooded with alarming reports claiming that Pakistani airstrikes had targeted civilians in Upper Tirah’s Aka Khel area in district Khyber. Images of injured children, destroyed homes, and emotional narratives spread like wildfire across social media platforms.
However, deeper investigation and verified reports reveal that these claims were part of a calculated disinformation campaign aimed at tarnishing the image of Pakistan’s security forces. Contrary to the narrative being pushed by certain political and propaganda-linked accounts, no airstrikes were conducted by the Pakistan Air Force in the said region.
Instead, the tragic incident was caused by a massive internal explosion at a house used by the proscribed Khawarij (TTP-linked terrorists). The house, reportedly under the control of Khawarij commanders Amaan Gul and Masood Khan, had been converted into an IED-manufacturing facility, located in the middle of a densely populated residential area.
The blast resulted in the death of 12 to 14 Khawarij operatives and also caused collateral damage to nearby houses. Tragically, some innocent civilians, including women and children, were killed or injured due to the proximity of their homes to the compound. The explosion demolished mud houses, buried several residents under rubble, and spread fear and panic across the valley.
This is a well-known tactic of the Khawarij, who have historically used civilian areas as shields for their operations. They embed weapon caches, bomb-making factories, and hideouts within villages and towns, knowingly putting innocent lives at risk. In this case, their own stockpile of explosives became the cause of mass destruction.
Following the explosion, a wave of misinformation began circulating online. Certain PTM-linked accounts, Indian propaganda networks, and disinformation influencers associated with PTI and TTP sympathizers quickly attributed the blast to alleged Pakistani airstrikes. Old photographs were reused and falsely presented as evidence of a new tragedy.
One photo widely circulated to evoke emotional outrage was actually from May 2025, involving a sick child who had been separated from his family at the Torkham border and was seeking medical treatment at Torkham Hospital.
This was not an error in reporting. This was a deliberate disinformation campaign, exploiting public emotion to paint Pakistan’s armed forces as villains and terrorists as victims. While truth struggled to catch up, falsehood raced ahead, weaponized, coordinated, and disturbingly effective.
Despite clear evidence pointing to a terrorist compound explosion, these elements deliberately misled the public to advance their anti-state agendas. International media, however, has since confirmed that the explosion was not the result of any military operation, but rather an accidental detonation of explosives stored by militants inside a civilian-populated area.
The silence of PTM leadership, particularly Manzoor Pashteen, has also raised questions. Despite repeatedly claiming to advocate for Pukhtun rights, PTM has failed to condemn the Khawarij for endangering innocent lives or using local populations as human shields.
On the other hand, Pakistan’s armed forces have consistently maintained a targeted and disciplined approach in counter-terrorism operations. There is no evidence that they have ever carried out strikes on civilian populations. In fact, their focus has always been to dismantle terrorist networks while minimizing civilian harm often at great cost to themselves.
The tragic events in Tirah highlight not only the ruthless nature of terrorist groups like the Khawarij but also the evolving nature of information warfare. Hybrid war now includes social media manipulation, disinformation campaigns, and emotional exploitation to damage national institutions and erode public confidence.
What unfolded in Tirah was not just a tragedy of lives lost. It was a case study in how propaganda can hijack reality, twist narratives, and mobilize digital warfare to destabilize national unity. This hybrid war, fought not just with weapons but with lies threatens to undermine institutions, fuel division, and embolden chaos.
While the people of Tirah mourn their dead and attempt to rebuild their lives, it is critical that the rest of the country supports them with clarity, compassion, and responsibility. Spreading falsehoods only helps the enemy.
In this battle for truth, every tweet matters, every lie shared empowers the enemy, and every silence emboldens chaos. Tirah was not bombed by jets, it was betrayed by those who turned homes into bomb factories and propaganda into a weapon. As the dust settles in the valley, one fact stands tall: Pakistan’s war is not against its people, but against the ideology that hides behind them.
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