Gunmen opened fire on Shiite Muslim passenger vehicles in Pakistan’s restive northwest on Thursday, killing at least 38 people, including six women, and injuring 20 more in one of the region’s bloodiest such assaults in recent years, according to authorities.
The incident took place in Kurram, an area in northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province where sectarian violence between majority Sunni Muslims and minority Shiites has killed scores Pakistani civilians in recent months.
Nobody has taken responsibility. The new violence occurred a week after officials reopened a crucial route in the region, which had been blocked for weeks due to fatal fighting.
A gun attack on a convoy carrying passengers from Parachinar to Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has left at least 10 in critical condition. Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the attack and ordered authorities to take action against those who orchestrated it. Local Shiite leader Baqir Haideri denounced the attack, stating that the terrorists martyred innocent people after identifying them.
The death toll from the attack is likely to rise. Shiite Muslims make up about 15% of Pakistan’s population, which has a history of sectarian animosity between the two communities. Tensions have existed for decades, particularly in parts of Kurram, where Shiites dominate.
In July, nearly 50 people from both sides were killed over a land dispute in Kurram. Pakistan is currently conducting intelligence-based operations to tackle violence in the northwest and southwest, where terrorists and separatists often target police, troops, and civilians.
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Source: India Today
