At least 18 people have been killed and over 30 others injured in armed clashes between two groups in Pakistan’s northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, officials said on Saturday.
The clashes erupted in Kurram district of the province, where armed men killed dozens of people and torched shops, houses, and government property, according to official sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The sources added that the latest violence in Kurram district was linked to Thursday’s attack, in which unidentified gunmen ambushed a convoy of passenger coaches carrying Shia Muslims, killing 45 people and injuring at least 16 others.
In response to the ongoing violence, the local administration has imposed a curfew in the area, closed educational institutions and businesses, and suspended cellular services.
Kurram Deputy Commissioner Javedullah Mehsud told the media that efforts were being made to restore peace in the area, stating that an emergency meeting had been held to prevent further violence, as reported by Xinhua news agency.
Kurram district has a history of sectarian violence. In September, at least 60 people from both sects were killed in separate incidents, according to Provincial Governor Faisal Karim Kundi.
The situation had remained extremely tense in the region since Thursday as the Iran-backed Zainebiyoun Brigade vowed to avenge the killing of 45 Shia Muslims by unidentified gunmen.
The Shia-dominated Parachinar area, which has seen bloody confrontational clashes with the surrounding areas of the Sunni majority in the past, saw police vehicles and security checkpoints being set ablaze as roads were blocked with stones and burning tires.
Protesters in Parachinar also demanded the immediate opening of the border with Afghanistan amid a worsening situation, a shortage of food, medicines, fuel, and oxygen.
A Shia organization and political party, Majlis Wahdat Muslimeen (MWM), has put forward demands to the government, including the activation of the Parachinar airport due to unsafe roads and the establishment of a free shuttle service between Parachinar and Peshawar via PIA or Air Force planes.
MWM has also called for the replacement of federal forces with the local Kurram militia.
The protesters have warned that if their demands are ignored by the provincial and federal governments, they will be forced to seek international help from human rights organizations and even the United Nations.
(Inputs from IANS)