In an unusual admission, Pakistan acknowledged on Saturday that 10 civilians were killed during an anti-militant operation in the country's northwest and vowed to investigate the incident.
Pakistani authorities confirmed the deaths on Saturday evening, which occurred earlier that morning in the remote hilltop region of Katlang in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. According to an Associated Press report, details of how the operation was carried out remained unclear.
Typically, Pakistan does not disclose civilian casualties resulting from anti-militant operations.
Children And Women Among Victims
Provincial government spokesman Muhammad Ali Saif said that reports indicated the location was being used as a “hideout and transit point for terrorist” elements.
Additional information later revealed that some unarmed civilians were in the vicinity of the site, Saif added.
Locals reported that 10 bodies, including those of women and children, were recovered from the area where government officials claimed the anti-militant operation occurred.
The victims, according to local sources cited by the AP, were from the Swat region and were nomadic herders with livestock in the Shamozai mountains.
‘Unintended Consequence’
The families of the victims protested the deaths by placing the bodies on the Swat Highway, while spokesperson Saif condemned the killing of unarmed individuals, calling it an “unintended consequence.”
Saif expressed deep regret over the loss of unarmed civilians, stating that the tragic incident occurred while targeting terrorists.
“The safety of civilians is always a top priority during such operations. However, due to the complex geography, terrorists using civilian populations as cover, and the urgent nature of the operation, unintended consequences can sometimes occur,” Saif was quoted as saying.
A statement from the provincial government claimed the operation had “successfully neutralized several high-value targets” linked to ongoing militant activities in the region. It also acknowledged that “the fog of war can sometimes lead to unintended consequences.”
With inputs from AP.
