Gunmen carried out a brutal attack on passenger vehicles transporting Shiite Muslims in the Kurram district of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, resulting in the tragic loss of at least 38 lives, including six women. The assailants also wounded 20 others in what has been described as one of the deadliest attacks targeting the Shiite community in recent years.
The region has been plagued by sectarian clashes between Sunni and Shiite Muslims, with ongoing tensions leading to numerous casualties. The attack, which occurred as a convoy of vehicles was traveling from Parachinar to Peshawar, has left several passengers in critical condition at local hospitals.
Authorities have yet to identify the perpetrators of the attack, which took place shortly after the reopening of a key highway following previous violent incidents. Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has condemned the violence and extended his condolences to the families of the victims, urging swift action against those responsible.
Local Shiite leader Baqir Haideri denounced the assault, emphasizing that innocent lives were lost in a targeted manner. The death toll is expected to rise as the situation unfolds, highlighting the ongoing challenges faced by the Shiite minority in the country.
Shiite Muslims constitute around 15 percent of Pakistan's predominantly Sunni population, with historical tensions between the two groups persisting in various regions. Kurram, where Shiites hold a significant presence, has been a focal point of sectarian violence, including recent clashes over land disputes that claimed nearly 50 lives.
Pakistan is actively engaged in intelligence-based operations to address violence in the northwest and southwest regions, where militant groups and separatists pose a threat to security. The Pakistani Taliban and the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army have been implicated in numerous acts of violence targeting security forces and civilians.
