At least 23 killed in sectarian clashes after gun attacks in northwest Pakistan

At least 23 people have been killed and dozens injured in two days of sectarian clashes that broke out in Pakistan's northwest following Thursday's brutal gun attack targeting the Shia community.

The shootings that lasted 30 minutes claimed 42 lives including of women and children.

Gunmen targeted passenger vehicles traveling from Peshawar to Parachinar in the Ochat area in the remote Kurram Agency.

Speaking to Nukta today about the clashes, Deputy Commissioner Javed Mehsud said the violence erupted late Thursday night. Fierce gunfire was exchanged between the Shia and Sunni tribes in areas including Alizai, Bagan, Balishkhel, Khar Killi, Kunj Alizai, and Maqbool village, Mehsud said.

“Both sides targeted each other with automatic weapons,” he added, confirming reports that at least eight members of the Sunni community and 15 from the Shia community have so far been killed. Another 23 people from both sides have sustained injuries.

While gunfire has temporarily ceased, local authorities are working to restore order. “The administration is trying to bring the situation under control,” he stated.

The attacks came just weeks after the main route in the area reopened following a 22-day closure due to previous violence.

Schools in the district remain closed in light of the on-ground situation.

Govt officials visit

Officials from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government arrived in Kurram today to address the situation.

The delegation, comprising Provincial Law Minister Aftab Alam Advocate, Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Nadeem Aslam, Commissioner Kohat Division, DIG Kohat, and DPO, aims to assess the situation and reactivate the tribal council (jirga) for conflict resolution.

The provincial government's Information Advisor Barrister Muhammad Saif also visited the district alongside Inspector General of Police Akhtar Hayat.

The delegation will meet with both communities to assess the situation and formulate an effective strategy to reduce tensions.

“The purpose of the visit is to develop a comprehensive plan to de-escalate the current conflict,” an official source stated.

History of sectarian violence

This latest attack has added to the toll of a longstanding conflict that has claimed dozens of lives in recent months.

However, sectarian violence has plagued Kurram, a tribal district bordering Afghanistan, for years. Formerly a semi-autonomous area, the region has a history of bloody confrontations between the Shia and Sunni tribes that have claimed hundreds of lives over the years.

In the past two months, September and October, 53 people, including women and children, have died in days-long sectarian clashes in the district.

Following an earlier round of clashes, in July, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) had urged the Khyber Pakhutnkhwa government to ensure that the ceasefire being brokered then holds.

"All disputes, whether over land or born of sectarian conflict, must be resolved peacefully through negotiations convened by the KP government with all stakeholders represented,” it said in a statement on July 29.

*Reporting by Kamran Ali