"More than 70,000 people, mostly women and children, have fled from Tirah, a remote region in northwestern Pakistan bordering Afghanistan, as fears grow of an imminent military offensive against the Pakistan Taliban, according to local residents and officials. Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif has contradicted claims made by locals and provincial authorities, insisting no military operation is occurring or planned in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province town."
"During an Islamabad news conference, he attributed the mass migration to harsh weather conditions rather than military actions, despite residents fleeing for weeks over fears of an impending army operation. The exodus began after mosque announcements in December last year urged residents to vacate Tirah by January 23 to avoid possible conflict. This follows Pakistan's August military campaign against Taliban forces in the northwestern Bajaur district, which displaced hundreds of thousands."
"Shafi Jan, a provincial government spokesman, blamed federal authorities via social media for the displaced people's hardships, accusing the Islamabad government of changing its position regarding military operations. Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, from imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party, has opposed military intervention and pledged to prevent a full-scale operation in Tirah. Military officials maintain they will continue targeted intelligence operations against Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)."
More than 70,000 people, mostly women and children, have fled Tirah, a remote region in northwestern Pakistan bordering Afghanistan. Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif denied any military operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and attributed the migration to harsh weather. The exodus began after mosque announcements in December urged residents to vacate Tirah by January 23. Previous military operations in Bajaur displaced hundreds of thousands. A provincial spokesman blamed federal authorities for the displaced people's hardships and accused the government of changing its position on operations. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's chief minister vowed to prevent a full-scale operation. Military officials said they will continue targeted intelligence actions against TTP, claiming fighters have used residents as human shields.
#tirah-displacement #tehrik-e-taliban-pakistan-ttp #pakistan-military-operations #khyber-pakhtunkhwa
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