Kurram death toll tops 88 as clashes resume
Authorities may have believed they had brokered a ceasefire, but the death toll from clashes in Kurram district has climbed to 88, with 111 wounded. The appeal for peace appears to have fallen on deaf ears as fighting persists in areas like Bagan and Alizai.
In the latest incidents, two more people from both sides lost their lives, and 19 others were injured. Meanwhile, on November 21, Mushtaq Hussain, one of the injured from a firing incident on passenger vehicles in Mandori, Lower Kurram, succumbed to his injuries. This brought the death toll from that specific attack to 50.
Over the past four days, a total of 88 people have been killed, and 111 injured in various shooting incidents in the district.
The main Peshawar Highway remains closed to all traffic, and internet and mobile services are suspended.
Due to the clashes and fuel shortages, all educational institutions in Kurram District have been closed. The Kohat Educational Board has also postponed the FA and FSc Annual Part-II exams in the region.
A provincial government delegation, comprising Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa spokesperson Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, Provincial Law Minister Aftab Alam, Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam, IGP Akhtar Hayat Gandapur, Kohat Commissioner, and others reached the area and held talks with the parties involved.
Community leaders demanded that the delegation reopen and secure the main highway for safe travel.
This fresh wave of clashes has erupted in the aftermath of a deadly massacre in Parachinar where 50 people were mercilessly mowed down by unidentified gunmen who attacked a convoy of vehicles.
Rival factions then took up positions against each other. Between Saturday and Sunday, it was reported that 18 people had been killed in the tribal clashes.
As of Monday, the death toll from the clashes stands at 83. When added to the 50 massacred in the convoy, the total number of those who lay dead goes as high as 88.
According an update from the local police on Sunday, the exchange of fire took place in the Lower Kurram area, where the two tribes used heavy weaponry against each other. The intense fighting exacerbated the security situation in the region.
In response to the escalating violence, Mohammad Hayat Hassan, Chairman of the Private Education Network, confirmed that all educational institutions in Kurram were closed due to the worsening conditions.
This incident followed a similar attack two days ago, when gunmen opened fire on passenger vehicles in different parts of Kurram, killing 50 people, including six women and five children. The situation in the area remains tense, with local authorities working to restore order.
Residents of the district held demonstrations to demand justice and condemn the massacre, but these protests were marred by their own violence.
In Kohat, protesters stoned passenger vehicles and ambulances, set a pickup truck on fire, and left the driver severely injured.
Traffic between Kohat and Hangu was disrupted, causing long queues, and police were deployed to control the unrest.
Demonstrators prayed for the victims and called on the government to restore law and order, while criticizing its failure to maintain peace in the region.
The deadly clashes took place around the same time unidentified gunmen opened fire on a helicopter carrying a high-level K-P government delegation to Parachinar city of the province's Kurram district.
The delegation, including K-P Law Minister Aftab Alam, the chief secretary, Kohat commissioner, and senior police officials, was enroute to address security concerns and restore peace in the region. Fortunately, the helicopter made a safe landing, and no injuries were reported.
The delegation was traveling on the orders of K-P Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, who had directed the revival of a traditional jirga to promote stability in Kurram as part of ongoing efforts to restore law and order in the area.