Relatives transport the lifeless body of a victim who fell to sectarian attacks in Kurram district. Photo: AFP
The bitter sectarian conflict in northwestern Pakistan, which claimed over 80 lives last week, reignited on Monday, according to officials, violating a carefully negotiated ceasefire. A seven-day truce between Sunnis and Shiites in Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province was established on Sunday, but Kurram's deputy commissioner, Javedullah Mehsud, informed AFP that 'reports of tribal clashes and gunfire persist in several areas.' A security official stationed in Kurram, who requested anonymity, confirmed that 'clashes are still ongoing' in at least three areas, yet no new casualties have been reported so far.
Pakistan, predominantly Sunni, has a significant Shiite population in Kurram, close to the Afghan border, where the communities have been at odds for decades. The recent surge in violence commenced last Thursday when two separate convoys of Shiite Muslims, under police protection, were ambushed, leading to two days of intense gun battles. By Sunday night, the regional government managed to broker a temporary ceasefire after 82 people were killed and 156 others were injured.
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