KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – A fresh wave of sectarian clashes in Pakistan’s northwestern Kurram district has left 82 people dead and 156 injured in three days, according to AFP. Pakistani officials reported that the victims include 66 Shia Muslims and 16 Sunni Muslims, highlighting the region’s enduring sectarian tensions.
The violence began on November 21, when gunmen ambushed two Shia convoys under police protection, killing 43 people and critically injuring more than 10 others. No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks.
As the clashes continued, hundreds of families fled their homes while heavy gunfire echoed through the region. Markets and schools remain shut, with numerous homes evacuated and petrol stations set ablaze, officials confirmed.
Kurram, located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province near the Afghan border, has long been a hotspot for Sunni-Shia tensions fueled by land disputes and tribal rivalries. The mountainous region, bordering Afghanistan’s Khost, Paktia, and Nangarhar provinces, is also plagued by armed groups, including the Pakistan Taliban (TTP) and Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP), who frequently launch attacks in the area.
Local authorities confirmed that communication networks remain suspended, while traffic on the district’s main highway has been halted. A government delegation sent to mediate was met with gunfire, highlighting the precariousness of the situation.
Pakistani Law Minister Aftab Alam Afridi stressed the urgency of securing a ceasefire before addressing the deeper issues driving the violence.
Sectarian strife is not new to the area. Clashes in July and September also claimed dozens of lives, and the Independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan reported 79 sectarian-related deaths between July and October.
Human rights groups and political leaders have condemned the ongoing violence, which follows a grim pattern of attacks targeting Pakistan’s Shia minority. Shias, who constitute about 20% of the population, face systemic discrimination and frequent militant attacks, often without significant intervention from law enforcement.
