Kurram convoy attack death toll rises to 9

PARACHINAR/PESHAWAR: The death toll from the attack on a convoy of trucks heading to Parachinar and security forces in the lower part of Kurram tribal district rose to nine on Tuesday.

Official sources said that the deceased included five security personnel, a driver, a passerby and two attackers, while over 20 persons, including five security personnel and five drivers sustained injuries in the attack.

They said the attack took place in lower Kurram areas, including Mandori, Ochat, Charkhel and Bagan, where a convoy of goods-laden trucks heading to Parachinar was targeted.

As a result, a driver and a security personnel lost their lives on the spot. Following the incident, shelling was carried out by gunship helicopters.

The sources said that a total of four security personnel, a driver and a passerby were martyred, while two attackers also lost their lives in the attack. They added that over 20 persons, including five security personnel and five drivers, sustained injuries.

According to police, after looting the convoy of 19 trucks, the attackers also set the vehicles on fire. In total, around, they added, 35 trucks were looted. Leaders of the Drugs Association, Syed Iftikhar Hussain and Syed Muhammad Hanif said that the association had collectively loaded goods worth Rs120 million into a large trailer, which was looted by miscreants.

Member National Assembly from Kurram district, Hamid Hussain, expressed disappointment over the government’s silence despite repeated violations of the peace agreement. He demanded immediate action against those responsible for the unrest and urged authorities to ensure the safety of people’s lives and property by reopening the roads.

Member Provincial Assembly, Ali Hadi Irfani, also said that traders and shopkeepers had repeatedly suffered massive losses due to the looting of goods worth millions of rupees and the burning of their vehicles.

He called on the government and relevant institutions to provide immediate assistance to the affected individuals and ensure the supply of essential goods, including food and medical aid.

Meanwhile, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to conduct a clearance operation in four troubled areas of Lower Kurram after the recent attack on a convoy that claimed human and material loss.

This and other important decisions were taken at a high-level meeting convened to review the current situation in the Kurram district, said a handout.

The decisions were meant for the restoration of law and order and the protection of public life and property. It was decided to take clearance operations in four villages of Lower Kurram -- Ochat, Mandori, Dad Kamar, and Bagan.

The residents of these villages will be evacuated to ensure their safety and prevent any potential loss of life or property. It was decided that strict legal action would be taken against those involved in the firing incident that took place in Lower Kurram on Monday.

The names of the individuals involved in anti-state activities in Kurram will be placed in Schedule IV. Strict action will be taken against elements responsible for unrest in the region, and bounties will be placed on the masterminds behind such activities. The government decided to temporarily suspend the distribution of relief compensation funds in Kurram after Monday’s incident.

Moreover, the process of demolishing illegal bunkers in the area will be expedited. The meeting reaffirmed its commitment to strictly enforce the peace agreement. Under the initiative to make Kurram a weapon-free zone, more measures will be taken to eliminate illegal arms from the region. The peace committees established under the agreement were directed to fulfill their responsibilities effectively.