Kurram rivals agree to cease fire for 7 days

An official Jirga on Sunday negotiated a ceasefire between the warring tribesmen in the Kurram district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), as the death toll from the three days of violence rose to 82, according to the officials in the provincial capital and the embattled district.

K-P Information Minister Muhammad Ali Saif said in a statement that a government delegation flew in to Parachinar, Kurram's main town, and met with the rival leaders on Saturday and Sunday to try to broker a ceasefire deal and then move to resolve the matter.

The government Jirga had returned to Peshawar from Kurram and "there have been positive developments in engagements with stakeholders," Saif said. "Both sides have agreed to a ceasefire for seven days and return each other's prisoners and bodies," he added.

Armed groups in Kurram have been engaged in tribal rivalry for decades over a land dispute in the district located near the Afghanistan border. The latest wave of clashes was triggered after gunmen attacked convoys of civilian vehicles on Thursday, killing dozens of passengers.

The roadside pogrom sparked retaliatory attacks against local residents and there have been pitched battles between armed groups from both sides. Armed groups attacked settlements that were populated by members of rival groups.

According to the latest information obtained from the local police sources, 12 more people were killed in firing incidents in the district overnight, raising the death toll from clashes to 31 in the last 24 hours, and to 75 in the last three days.

However, other media reports put the death toll even higher. "The clashes and convoy attacks on November 21, 22, and 23 have resulted in 82 fatalities and 156 injuries," a local administration official told AFP, while speaking on condition of anonymity.

Last night, clashes continued in Bagan, Alizai, Balshakhel, Khar Kalay, Maqbal and Kunj Alizai. The fighting intensified when armed groups of the Turi tribe burned and looted the Lower Kurram villages of Kalu Kunj, Badshah Kot and Bagan Bazaar.

In the district, many homes had been evacuated, while markets and schools remain closed. A number of petrol stations had also been set alight, the officials said, adding that gunfights with both light and heavy weapons continued into the night. However, no fresh casualties were reported on Sunday morning.

"The mobile network across Kurram remains suspended and traffic on the main highway is halted," said another official. "Our priority today is to broker a ceasefire between both sides. Once that is achieved, we can begin addressing the underlying issues," K-P Law Minister Aftab Alam Afridi told AFP.

(WITH INPUT FROM AGENCIES)