Authorities in the restive province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have reported that gunmen have opened fire on convoys of Shia pilgrims in Parachinar, Pakistan, resulting in the deaths of at least 42 individuals.
In the Kurram tribal district on Thursday, the attacks resulted in the deaths of women and children, according to police reports on Friday. A region that borders Afghanistan, sectarian violence has intensified since July due to land disputes between Shia and Sunni tribes. Gunmen opened fire on two distinct convoys of Shia pilgrims who were traveling with police escorts. The attacks have not been claimed by any group.
According to Javedullah Mehsud, the deputy commissioner of Kurram, the assaults occurred as the convoys were making their way from the district headquarters of Parachinar to Peshawar.
According to the police, twenty individuals sustained injuries.
“We were also able to rescue 26 members of the Shia community, including women and children, who were being held hostage by Sunni groups last night,” Mehsud stated.
The assault was survived by 28-year-old Ajmeer Hussain.
Hussain stated to the AFP news agency, “I began reciting my prayers, thinking these were my final moments, when gunfire suddenly erupted.”
“I prostrate myself at the feet of the two passengers who are seated adjacent to me.” The two individuals were fatally struck by multiple bullets and died immediately, according to him.
“The shooting persisted for approximately five minutes.”
The attacks were condemned by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who stated, “The attack on a convoy of innocent citizens by the enemies of peace in the country is an act of sheer brutality.”
A tribal elder from the area, that the local populace was enraged with the authorities, particularly the law enforcement agency, which was responsible for securing the convoys but failed to do so.
He stated, “There are plans for a protest against the security forces to take place in Parachinar.”
The attacks occurred just days after at least 20 soldiers were slain in separate incidents in the province. In Kurram, tribal conflicts resulted in the deaths of 11 individuals in October.
Kurram has a lengthy history of sectarian conflict between Sunni and Shia groups. The harshest period of violence between 2007 and 2011 resulted in the deaths of over 2,000 individuals.
The mountainous region adjacent to Afghanistan’s Khost, Paktia, and Nangarhar provinces has also become a flashpoint for armed groups, with frequent attacks by the Pakistan Taliban, or Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP), and ISIL (ISIS).
Earlier this month, a peace march in Parachinar was attended by thousands of individuals who demanded that the government improve security for Kurram’s 800,000 residents, of whom over 45% are members of the Shia minority.
In response to the attacks that occurred on Thursday, Mehsud stated, “There is a natural outpouring of anger and fury among the residents of the region.” This was a land dispute that has since evolved into a tribal-cum-sectarian rift. However, we have the unwavering support of tribal elders from Kurram and other regions.
He stated that the authorities are unable to exclude the possibility of militant involvement in this attack; however, they are conducting further inquiries.
