Five more killed as Kurram clashes rage

PARACHINAR: Five more people were killed and another 10 sustained injuries as the violent clashes between rival tribes in the Kurram district entered the third day.

Both sides, it was learnt, were using heavy and automatic weapons during the skirmishes. With the latest fatalities, the number of people killed so far reached 10 while those injured were 25. A local leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Kurram, Wrikhmeen Khan was also among the dead.

Hospital officials confirmed the number of the dead and injured. According to police and hospital sources, the fighting initially broke out in Upper Kurram over a land dispute when the Boshera tribe began constructing trenches on a piece of land claimed by the Ahmedzai tribe.

The conflict has since spread to several areas of the district, including Balishkhel, Sadda, and Khar Killay, where the most recent casualties were reported.

The clashes disrupted the routine life in the Kurram tribal region. Main roads, including the only highway connecting Parachinar to the rest of country, remain blocked, leaving thousands of residents stranded in the area.

Jalal Bangash, a prominent leader of the Turi Bangash tribe, called for strict action against those responsible for the unrest and the misuse of social media to escalate tensions. He urged the authorities to take measures against those spreading violence over minor disputes, warning that external elements entering central Kurram were contributing to the growing instability.

Meanwhile, Member National Assembly (MNA) Engineer Hameed Hussain, who also leads the Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen announced plans for a protest if the authorities failed to restore peace.

He has already started a sit-in protest outside Parachinar Press Club, demanding immediate steps to quell the violence. Deputy Commissioner Javedullah Mehsud said that negotiations were underway to resolve the dispute through a tribal jirga.

He said elders and jirga members were making efforts to broker a ceasefire and bring an end to the fighting. However, the efforts to negotiate a ceasefire have so far failed. Earlier, local civil administration and a jirga attempted to mediate a truce between the warring factions. However, reports said that one side refused to agree to a ceasefire, prolonging the fighting.

The fierce fighting between rival tribes continued across various parts of Kurram district last night as intense clashes were reported from Piwar, Konj Alizai, Para Chamkani, Khar Killay, Balishkhel, and Sangina.

The conflict, initially triggered by a land dispute between the Boshera and Ahmedzai tribes, has now spread to various areas in Kurram, severely affecting the local population. Roads remain blocked, including the main highway connecting Parachinar to the rest of the country, leaving thousands of people trapped in the district.