The remote, mountainous Tirah Valley in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has seen a large-scale movement of residents in recent weeks as mosque announcements urged families to leave ahead of possible military action against Islamist militants.
Residents who fled described arduous journeys through snowbound roads and shortages of food as they relocated to nearby towns despite cold winter temperatures. Many of those displaced are now in towns such as Bara, situated about 71 km east of the valley, where hundreds have gathered to register for assistance.
Evacuation prompted by mosque announcements
Local people said loudspeaker announcements from mosques told them to vacate their homes to avoid potential fighting. "The announcements were made in the mosque that everyone should leave, so everyone was leaving. We left too," said Gul Afridi, a shopkeeper who fled with his family to Bara. He described a weeklong evacuation that involved navigating snowbound roads and coping with limited food supplies.
Other residents echoed that the movement was driven by the mosque warnings rather than the cold. "No one left because of the cold," said Abdur Rahim, who moved to Bara earlier this month after hearing evacuation announcements. "It has been snowing for years. We have lived there all our lives. People left because of the announcements."
Displaced families have been lining up at a government school in Bara to register for aid, where some complained about slow registration processes and uncertainty over how long they will remain displaced. "Here I have no home, no support for business. I don’t know what is destined for us," Gul Afridi said.
Officials give differing explanations
Local officials in the region, speaking on condition of anonymity, said thousands of families have fled and are being documented for assistance in the towns that have taken them in. These officials asked to remain unidentified when discussing the counts and registration efforts.
At the same time, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif publicly denied that any operation was planned or underway in Tirah, describing the movement as a routine seasonal migration that was driven by harsh winter conditions rather than security concerns.
Contrasting with that public denial, a Pakistani military source with knowledge of the situation said the relocations followed months of consultations among tribal elders, district officials and security authorities about militants present in the valley. The source, who also requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media, said militants were operating among civilian populations and pressuring residents.
That source said civilians were encouraged to leave temporarily to reduce the risk of harm while "targeted intelligence-based operations" continued, and added that there had been no build-up for a large-scale offensive because the mountainous terrain and winter conditions make such operations difficult.
Requests for comment to Pakistan’s military media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations, the interior ministry, and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial government were not answered as of Friday.
Human toll and past incidents
Displaced residents recounted hardships, including families stranded for days and deaths among children during the evacuation. "There were a lot of difficulties. People were stuck because of the snow," said Abdul Azeem, another displaced resident, who said children died along the way.
The Tirah Valley has been described by residents and local sources as a sensitive security zone and is regarded as a stronghold of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, an Islamist militant group that has conducted attacks on Pakistani security forces. The valley came under national scrutiny in September after a deadly explosion at a suspected bomb-making site; officials and local leaders gave conflicting accounts about whether civilians were among those killed.
Current situation and outlook
Thousands of families have been registered for assistance in towns near Tirah, but displaced people continue to face the immediate challenges of shelter, food, and uncertainty over how long they will remain away from their homes and livelihoods. Local officials and the military have provided differing characterizations of the cause of the movement, leaving questions about the precise role of security operations versus seasonal migration.
Summary of facts
- Tens of thousands of people moved out of the Tirah Valley following mosque announcements urging evacuation.
- Displaced families traveled into nearby towns such as Bara, about 71 km east, despite heavy snowfall and low temperatures.
- Government officials publicly denied a planned operation, while a military source said civilians were encouraged to leave amid targeted intelligence-based operations.
- The Tirah Valley is known as a sensitive area and a stronghold of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan; a separate, deadly explosion in September drew national attention to the valley.