Pakistan: 15 killed, 25 injured in fresh sectarian violence in Kurram

ISLAMABAD: The police in Kurram district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan said that at least 15 people have been killed and at least 25 people injured in fresh sectarian clashes, two days after attack on passenger vehicles, local media reported on Saturday.

Samaa TV reported that violence escalated in Lower Kurram as rival groups exchanged fire with heavy and automatic weapons. In response to the deteriorating security situation, educational institutions across Kurram district have been closed for the day and authorities have urged residents to stay indoors as tensions remain high.

Kurram violence update: 20 killed, 30 injured in clashes after attack on passenger vehicles. Armed men torched Bagan Bazar, burning shops & a petrol station. Fresh firing reported in Sadda, Balshkhel & other areas. Police struggle to restore order; additional forces expected… pic.twitter.com/Ak893kzfio

— Ghulam Abbas Shah (@ghulamabbasshah) November 23, 2024

The ‘Dawn’ news outlet cited police sources to report that clashes erupted when Bushehra tribesmen started establishing bunkers on the lands of Ahmadzai tribals. They said people of Central Kurram also started firing in Baleshkhel area with heavy and automatic weapons following the incident.

The sources said one person was killed on Friday night and four died on Sunday while several others were injured in the fighting.

More than 42 people were killed and 29 others injured when heavily-armed militants ambushed several vehicles carrying passengers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Kurram district on November 21, police and local officials were cited by The Nation.

The ‘Dawn’ publication in a report on November 22 cited Deputy Commissioner Javedullah Mehsood as saying that a convoy, consisting of approximately 200 vehicles, was travelling from Parachinar to Peshawar when it was ambushed by gunmen.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the massacre in a district of Pakistan known for ongoing sectarian violence between heavily armed Shia and Sunni Muslim tribes, as reported by the Dawn.

According to police, the attack occurred in Ochat area of Lower Kurram. The militants hiding in mountains targeted the vehicles with automatic weapons, the Nation reported.

Authorities in Kurram attribute the recent outbreak of violence to a land dispute, which has fueled weeks of armed clashes and resulted in the deaths of over 100 people between August and October. Previously in July this year, deadly clashes sparked over a ‘land dispute’ between two tribes in the Kurram district ended after six days of deadly warfare.

Kurram Deputy Commissioner said security forces personnel have been deployed in the area. According to the police, Parachinar, Peshawar highway is closed to all traffic for the seventh day due to which farmers, travelers, and traders are facing difficulties.

Heavy police and security deployment ensured in the troubled area while normal life has come to a standstill due to the tense situation. (ANI)