Pakistani Military's Reliance on Heavy Weapons Fuels Unrest Among Tirah Valley Civilians

Pakistan's military crackdown in Tirah Valley using helicopters, drones, and artillery has triggered mass civilian casualties and displacement. Rights groups say indiscriminate force is fuelling resentment and unrest, not peace, in tribal regions.

New Delhi: Amidst escalating military operations in the Tirah Valley, part of Pakistan's historically volatile tribal belt, civilian communities find themselves trapped in the crossfire of a conflict they did not choose.

Heavy weaponry deployed across civilian regions

Pakistan's armed forces have intensified their crackdown against militants using an array of heavy weaponry, including artillery, US-made AH-1F Cobra and Bell attack helicopters, and recently acquired Chinese Z-10ME helicopters, alongside Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs).

The outcome has frequently been devastating, with innocent civilians bearing the brunt of collateral damage.

According to reports from human rights organisations, the indiscriminate use of these advanced weapon systems has resulted in considerable civilian fatalities and widespread displacement.

Human cost: Civilian deaths and displacement

Over the past two decades, military operations across the tribal regions, including Tirah Valley, Bajaur, and North Waziristan, have claimed more than 80,000 civilian lives and displaced approximately six million people.

The usage of drones, notably Pakistan’s indigenous Burraq UCAVs, touted by the army as precise weapons, has often missed their intended militant targets, instead impacting densely populated civilian neighbourhoods and rural settlements.

Weapon strikes fail to distinguish militants from civilians

Attack helicopters, particularly the recent addition of Chinese-supplied Z-10ME, known for their lethal firepower, have exacerbated the civilian casualty figures due to their deployment in regions populated largely by non-combatants.

Local communities, increasingly frustrated and traumatised, accuse the army of failing to distinguish adequately between combatants and civilians.

Locals accuse army of collective punishment

Activist groups, such as the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement, have repeatedly highlighted the destructive impact of military actions on ordinary residents, denouncing these tactics as collective punishment rather than counter-terrorism operations.

“The military operations don’t discriminate. Our villages, farms, and markets are being destroyed, families displaced, and yet there's no accountability,” lamented a resident of Tirah Valley, requesting anonymity due to fear of retaliation.

Growing distrust and danger of radicalisation

Critics argue that such relentless military actions are inadvertently fuelling militancy rather than quelling it.

Analysts observe that heavy-handed measures alienate the very communities whose support is essential to long-term peace and stability. This cycle of violence and retaliation perpetuates unrest, deepening mistrust between locals and state institutions.

Calls for accountability and policy shift

Despite mounting criticism from both domestic and international quarters, the Pakistani military maintains its aggressive approach, citing the necessity of dismantling militant infrastructure.

However, experts caution that without a significant shift towards precision, transparency, and accountability, the cycle of violence and civilian suffering in Tirah Valley will persist, undermining regional security and human rights for years to come.