Tribal gunfights leave 15 dead in Kurram

DERA ISMAIL KHAN:

Fifteen people were killed and eight others injured in two separate incidents of gunfire between two tribes in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa's (K-P) Kurram district.

The first incident occurred near the Kunj Alizai mountains, close to the Pak-Afghan border, where members of the Maqbal tribe opened fire on hunters from the Shingak tribe. In the second attack, armed men from the Maqbal tribe opened fire on vehicles carrying members of the Turi tribe as they were heading towards the Maqbal area near a bypass.

According to the police, tensions in the district escalated after the second incident. Security forces along with police were swiftly deployed to the affected area. Police said the incidents of violence were being investigated. The injured were immediately transported to the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital in Parachinar for treatment.

Kurram, a tribal region bordering Afghanistan, has reported several land disputes in the past that led to deadly sectarian clashes.

Former MNA and jirga member Pir Haider Ali Shah confirmed that steps were being taken to secure travel routes and restore normalcy in the district.

Meanwhile, Mehsud jirga members are already present in the area to facilitate a peace agreement between the tribes.

Deputy Commissioner Javaidullah Mehsud described the recent wave of violence as regrettable.