Migration Of Locals From Khyber District Starts As Military Operations Commence In Tirah Valley

ISLAMABAD: Migration of Internally Displace Persons from Khyber District of Khyber Pahktunkhwa towards the cities and towns of the province has started in anticipation of military operations in Pak-Afghan border towns and districts, reports in the media stated.

Khyber district is witnessing large scale evacuation of local from Tirah valley of Khyber district, where Pakistani troops are engaging TTP fighters to flush out the militants from this area. Reports suggest that locals started evacuating from this area in anticipation of intelligence based operations in Tirah Valley in the early days of January.

It seems government itself is facilitating the migration towards cities and towns as a news report released by Official news service APP stated the relocation of residents will take place from January 10 to January 25, with a three-day registration process currently ongoing at Paindi Cheena. The total population of the Maidan area is estimated at around 130,000.

The government has decided to offer compensation to the locals as a payment against the destruction of their houses during the military operation in Tirah valley.

“So far, approximately 2,500 families have been registered. Each displaced family has been provided advance financial assistance of Rs250,000, while an additional Rs50,000 per month will be given to help them arrange accommodation of their choice” said.

The administration said families whose houses are completely destroyed during the operation will receive compensation of Rs3 million, whereas those with partially damaged homes will be paid Rs1 million.
Officials added that the operation against militants is expected to be completed within two months. The rehabilitation and return of displaced families is scheduled to begin from April 5.

Fatalities from terrorist attacks in KP rose from 1,620 in 2024 to 2,331 in 2025, reflecting a year-on-year increase of more than 40%.

Earlier this week, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director-General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said nearly 71% of all terrorist incidents reported in 2025 occurred in KP. Addressing a press conference on January 6, he attributed the trend to what he described as a “politically conducive environment and a flourishing political-criminal-terror nexus” in the province.

The ISPR chief said law enforcement agencies conducted 75,175 intelligence-based operations nationwide during the year, including 14,658 in KP. Of the 5,397 terrorism incidents reported across the country in 2025, 3,811 took place in the province.

Historical migration from the Tirah Valley has occurred in multiple waves over the last decades, typically driven by military campaigns against militant groups.
Major displacements began in 2009 during operations such as Darghalam and Bia Darghalam. Between 2014 and 2017, a series of operations known as Khyber-1 through Khyber-4 led to the displacement of thousands of families to camps like Jalozai.

Due to rising insecurity, families began “voluntary evacuations” as early as November and December 2025 to avoid potential collateral damage from localized intelligence-based operations.

The Tirah Valley is currently a focal point for targeted security actions, with a broader offensive imminent.

As of January 9, 2026, authorities are finalizing the registration of displaced families at centers like Paindi Cheena and Bagh Markaz. Over 2,500 families have already been registered, receiving financial assistance of Rs250,000 each for relocation.

Security forces are currently conducting targeted actions and intelligence-based operations (IBOs) against proscribed militant groups, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Lashkar-e-Islam remnants, who have surged in the area following the Afghan Taliban’s takeover in neighboring Afghanistan.