Authorities in Pakistan reported Monday that armed clashes between rival Sunni and Shiite Muslim tribes in a northwestern district bordering the border with Afghanistan have resulted in at least 133 deaths within the past two weeks.
The sectarian violence in Kurram in the Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa flared up late last month when gunmen ambushed a Shiite vehicle convoy, killing 52 passengers, including women, children, and security personnel escorting them.
No group assumed responsibility for the bloodshed, which triggered retaliatory attacks and arson by Shiite tribesmen in the predominantly Sunni village where the convoy was ambushed.
The clashes have since escalated into revenge attacks districtwide, leaving more than 80 people dead and nearly 200 injured.
The provincial government facilitated a week-long ceasefire between the warring groups, which allowed the two sides to exchange hostages but failed to halt hostilities.
Kurram, situated on the Afghan border, is the sole Pakistani district where Shiites constitute the majority of the population, deviating from the national average where Sunnis hold the majority.
Ali Amin Gandapur, the provincial chief minister, Monday led a Cabinet meeting where members were briefed on efforts to restore peace in the region.
Local media quoted Gandapur as telling the meeting that those responsible for “the chaos, spreading sectarian hatred, and inciting murder and destruction” would be “treated as terrorists.”
A land dispute between Sunni and Shiite groups sparked weeks of clashes in Kurram earlier this year, killing more than 100 people between August and October.
The violence had compelled authorities to halt all traffic to and from the district until early November, when tribal elders brokered a temporary ceasefire, enabling travelers to resume their journey.
The November 21 convoy attack and subsequent clashes, however, forced authorities to again close the highway linking the district to the rest of Pakistan, citing security reasons.
Residents have reported a shortage of food, fuel, and medicine due to repeated road closures, causing significant hardships across Kurram, which has a population of nearly 800,000.
Gandapur announced Monday that the government was taking steps to address the escalating humanitarian crisis in Kurram. He indicated that authorities were considering deploying helicopters to deliver food and medical supplies to the most affected areas.
Trade activities between Pakistan and landlocked Afghanistan through the Kharlachi border crossing in the mountainous district have also been disrupted.
Sectarian violence in Kurram erupted amid a surge in militancy in several Khyber Pakhtunkhwa districts near or along the Afghan border, the southwestern province of Balochistan, and elsewhere in Pakistan.
Nationwide militant attacks have resulted in the deaths of 68 Pakistani security personnel and 50 civilians in November alone, as reported by the Islamabad-based independent Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies.
The Pakistani military has also stepped-up counter-militancy operations, killing dozens of insurgents.
In a statement released Sunday, the Pakistani military announced the killing of eight militants in what it said were intelligence-driven operations conducted in two districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It also confirmed the deaths of two Pakistani soldiers, including an officer, as a result of these operations.
