At least 16 people, including three women and two children, were killed in a fresh outbreak of sectarian violence in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, officials confirmed on Sunday.
The violence erupted in Kurram district, a region that has long been a flashpoint for clashes between Sunni and Shiite Muslim tribes.
Fighting between the two sects has been ongoing for several months, with previous incidents claiming dozens of lives.
According to the AFP, a senior Kurram district official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the latest attack occurred on Saturday when a convoy of Sunni tribespeople was ambushed while under the protection of paramilitary forces.
“The convoy came under heavy fire, resulting in the deaths of 14 people, including three women and two children. Six others were wounded in the attack,” the official said.
Frontier police quickly responded to the assault and reportedly killed two of the attackers, who were identified as members of the Shiite community, the official added.
Kurram, a region with a history of bloody confrontations between Sunni and Shiite tribes, has witnessed several violent episodes in recent months.
Clashes in July and September left many dead before a tribal council, known as a jirga, brokered a temporary ceasefire.
Officials are now working to negotiate another truce to end the current violence. “We are in the process of brokering peace between the warring sides to prevent further bloodshed,” said a local mediator involved in the talks.
Sectarian violence in Pakistan, particularly in remote areas like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, often stems from long-standing tribal and family feuds.
The Shiite minority, in a predominantly Sunni Muslim country, has frequently been the target of discrimination and sectarian attacks.
