Firing incidents disrupt fragile peace in Kurram

Two back-to-back shooting incidents disrupted the fragile peace in Kurram on Friday, worsening the challenges faced by local residents who have already been enduring four months of road closures and shortages of food and medical supplies, according to officials and tribal elders.

The unrest began when individuals working in a field in the Bushehra area of Upper Kurram were fired upon by a rival group. Two people, Gul Ali Turi and Abbas Ali, were injured in the attack and taken to the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital in Parachinar.

Following the shooting, an exchange of gunfire broke out between the rival groups, with both sides using heavy automatic weapons. Officials quickly intervened, brokering a ceasefire and deploying police and other personnel to prevent further escalation.

However, during the deployment process, according to tribal leader Shafiq Turi, another shooting incident occurred in which five people sustained bullet wounds. The injured included Kurram Assistant Commissioner (AC) Saeed Manan, who had gone there to control the situation.

Manan was rushed to the DHQ Hospital, where he underwent immediate surgery. The medical superintendent Dr Syed Mir Hassan Jan said that Manan was shot in his stomach, therefore, the surgery was necessary. He added that after the surgery, Manan was airlifted to Peshawar via a helicopter.

Later in the day, a jirga of the rival parties convened in Kohat along with the Grand Aman Jirga to discuss ways to establish permanent peace in the district. The Jirga decided to form committees, comprising representatives of the rival parties to implement the peace agreement signed earlier in January.