Pakistan: Gunmen kill 38 Shiite Muslims in sectarian attack in Kurram district

Police say gunmen open fire on vehicles in Pakistan’s restive northwest

In a deadly attack in Pakistan‘s volatile northwest, gunmen opened fire on passenger vehicles carrying Shiite Muslims on Thursday, killing at least 38 people and injuring 20 others. Among the deceased were six women.

The assault took place in the Kurram district, located in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, an area known for ongoing sectarian violence between the majority Sunni Muslims and the minority Shiite community.

According to local police official Azmat Ali, several vehicles were traveling in a convoy from Parachinar to Peshawar when they were ambushed by gunmen. At least 10 of the injured passengers remain in critical condition at a nearby hospital. While no group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, the incident marks one of the deadliest sectarian assaults in recent years.

This violence follows a week after the authorities reopened a crucial highway in the region, which had been closed for several weeks due to deadly clashes between Sunnis and Shiites. Local Shiite leader Baqir Haideri condemned the attack, stating that the victims were “martyred” after being deliberately targeted by the assailants. He warned that the death toll might rise as more people succumb to their injuries.

Shiite Muslims account for about 15 percent of Pakistan’s 240 million population, which is predominantly Sunni. Despite coexisting peacefully in many parts of the country, there have been recurring tensions and violence between the two sects, particularly in areas like Kurram, where Shiites form the majority.

In July, nearly 50 people were killed in clashes between the two groups over a land dispute in the same district.

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the attack and extended his condolences to the victims’ families. He ordered authorities to take swift action to apprehend those responsible. The country is currently conducting intelligence-based operations aimed at curbing violence in the northwest and southwest regions, where attacks by terrorist groups and separatists, including the Pakistani Taliban and the Baloch Liberation Army, have been on the rise.

For all the latest updates, download PGurus App.

The post Pakistan: Gunmen kill 38 Shiite Muslims in sectarian attack in Kurram district appeared first on PGurus.