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PoliticsPakistan

Pakistan: Deadly clash erupts between tribes in Kurram

Saim Dušan Inayatullah
October 12, 2024

Deaths were reported following fighting between tribes in Kurram, near Pakistan's border with Afghanistan. Previously, provincial officals there reported a land dispute between Shiite and Sunni Muslim groups.

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Pakistani soldiers stand at checkpoint on road in Kurram district in 2017
Restive tribal areas of Pakistan bordering Afghanistan have been hit by violent attacks for many years (file photo)Image: Basit Gilani/AFP

Clashes between rival tribes killed at least 11 people in the Kurram district in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, officials said on Saturday.

At least eight people were injured in the incident.

What do we know about the clash in Kurram district?

Tensions rose in Kurram district after two people were critically injured in a shooting incident.

It wasn't immediately clear what caused the shooting. It was also not clear if this deadly clash, like some previous unrest in the area, was fueled by sectarian differences between Sunni and Shiite Muslims.

The incident occurred in the Kunj Alizai area near the country's border with Afghanistan, according to Pakistan's Dawn daily.

Senior official Javedullah Khan was cited by AP news agency as saying that several vehicles were later targeted, leading to more casualties.

Dawn daily cited medical official Mir Hassan as saying that the condition of three of the wounded was "critical."

Provincial government, elders attempt to mediate land dispute

Last month, at least 25 people were killed in clashes between Shiite and Sunni Muslims over a land dispute.

A majority of Pakistanis are Sunni, while Shiites make up 15% of the population. However, Shiites dominate parts of Kurram district.

Tribal council member Pir Haider Ali Shah said elders had arrived to the area to mediate a peace agreement between the tribes.

"The recent firing incidents are regrettable and have hampered efforts for lasting peace," he said.

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa provincial government formed a land commission to resolve the dispute, according to Dawn.

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur announced a cease-fire late in September, but it did not take effect.

Kurram and several other areas near the border were part of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) until 2018, when the region was abolished and merged into Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. The area is part of the traditional stronghold of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan militant group.

This article was written in part with material from AP news agency.