In Pakistan’s Kurram, sectarian violence erupts, killing dozens

In northwestern Pakistan, officials have reported that renewed violence between Sunni and Shia Muslim factions has resulted in the deaths of at least 32 individuals and the injury of dozens more.

The latest violence to rumble through Kurram, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, occurred overnight on Saturday. This incident occurred just days after a fatal attack on a convoy in the same region resulted in the deaths of numerous individuals.

The latest incident resulted in the deaths of 14 Sunni and 18 Shia Muslims, according to a senior administrative official who spoke to the AFP news agency on condition of anonymity. The official also reported that an additional 47 individuals sustained injuries.

According to The Associated Press news agency, a senior Pakistani police officer also corroborated the violence that occurred on Saturday, estimating the death toll at 33 and the number of injuries at 25.

According to the officer, who also spoke anonymously due to his lack of authorization to address the media, armed individuals in Bagan and Bacha Kot set fire to government property, residences, and stores.

Between the Alizai and Bagan communities in the Lower Kurram region, there was an ongoing exchange of intense gunfire.

The severe tension has led to the closure of educational institutions in Kurram. According to the officer, both factions are employing automatic and hefty weapons to strike at one another.

Social media platforms shared videos and images of a burning market, with orange flames piercing the night sky. It is also possible to hear gunfire.

Al Jazeera’s Kamal Hyder reports that the region has imposed a curfew and suspended mobile services. Hyder was reporting from Islamabad.

Officials are describing the situation as extremely tense,” he continued.

“The government and the authorities have failed to provide security to the citizens,” Hyder stated. He also noted that protests are escalating as a result of the authorities’ incapacity to contain the situation before it spirals out of control.

The violence between Sunni and Shia Muslims in the mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan, has increased in recent months, resulting in the deaths of approximately 150 individuals.

Assailants opened fire on two distinct convoys in Kurram, which were traveling with police escorts, on Thursday, killing more than 40 Shia Muslims. At least 11 additional individuals sustained injuries.

A group of Shia Muslims launched an attack on Friday evening that targeted Sunni locations, including the Bagan bazaar, in the Kurram district. This region, which was once semi-autonomous, has been the site of sectarian violence that has resulted in the fatalities of hundreds over the years.

Following the firing, the perpetrators entered adjacent residences, poured gasoline on them, and set them on fire. Preliminary reports inform AFP that the perpetrators destroyed over 300 shops and more than 100 houses.

The local Sunni community “also responded by firing back at the attackers,” he stated.

According to Javedullah Mehsud, a senior official in Kurram, there were “efforts to restore calm… [through] the deployment of security forces” and with the assistance of “local elders” (AP).

Pakistan, a Sunni-majority country with a population of 240 million, is home to approximately 15% of Shia Muslims. The two communities have a long-standing history of sectarian friction.

The two groups generally coexist peacefully; however, tensions persist, particularly in Kurram.