The death toll from two separate attacks in northwest Pakistan has risen to 43, authorities confirmed on Friday. The attacks, which took place in Kurram, a district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province near the Afghanistan border, targeted Shiite Muslim convoys under police escort. Gunmen opened fire on the convoys on Thursday, adding to the region's history of violent sectarian clashes.
The victims of the attack include seven women and three children, with 16 others injured, 11 of whom are in critical condition. The violence has further escalated tensions in a region already affected by months of violent clashes between Sunni and Shiite Muslim tribes.
In response to the attacks, authorities imposed a curfew in the area and shut down mobile networks across the district. The main road connecting Upper and Lower Kurram was closed, and the local bazaar remained shut. A sit-in protest was also held in Parachinar, the district’s main town.
Sectarian violence has been a persistent issue in Pakistan, particularly in the Sunni-majority areas where the Shiite community has long faced discrimination and violence. A local tribal council, known as a jirga, has been convened in an effort to restore order and peace in the region.
The recent violence has drawn widespread condemnation from both Pakistani officials and human rights groups. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) criticized the government's failure to protect civilians, demanding immediate action to end the cycle of violence.
Previous clashes in the region, particularly in July and September, also resulted in numerous casualties, only ceasing after a ceasefire was brokered by a jirga.