At least 10 killed in fresh Kurram tribal clashes

At least ten people have been killed and dozens wounded as clashes between Shia and Sunni tribes reared their ugly head once again in Upper Kurram after a period of calm, the local administration told The Express Tribune’s Peshawar office over the phone on Monday.

Clashes between the rival tribes continued for the third day in Kurram district. Both sides are using heavy and automatic weapons against each other. In the latest round of clashes, four more people have died, and ten have been injured.

Over the three days of fighting, a total of ten people have been killed, and 17 injured. According to police and hospital sources, disputes over land between the Boshai and Ahmadzai tribes in Upper Kurram are fueling the clashes.

The casualties have spread over the Balish Khel, Sadda, and Kharkalay areas. The clashes have blocked the main highway and other routes. Deputy Commissioner Javedullah Mahsud stated that efforts are being made to resolve the issue through a jirga, while members and elders have been sent to areas where clashes are ongoing to help negotiate a ceasefire.

Prominent among those slain from both sides were the president of the PTI Kurram District Youth Wing and his police bodyguard.

The boiling point of the Kurram district was the area of Boshera. According to reports, armed men from one of the factions tried to construct trenches in the area; an action which sparked the clashes which spiraled into an all-out battle.

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has taken notice of the incidents and directed the local administration and tribal jirga to urgently work towards a reconciliation process. Peace prevailed after negotiations the last time these rivals clashed, but it appears that the process has been relatively short-lived.

Gandapur, while taking notice of the emerging law-and order situation in Kurram, directed the quarters concerned to take necessary measures to resolve the matter on a priority basis. On the directives of the CM, the K-P Home and Tribal Affairs Department has sent a letter to the Kohat Division commissioner and regional police officer to convene a grand jirga on an immediate basis. The officials were urged to involve elected representatives including MNAs, MPAs, local body members and law enforcement officials.

They were ordered to understand the exact demands of both sides and propose a way forward, on a provincial level, to find a permanent solution to the conflict. The officials were further directed to take immediate action under intimation to the provincial government.