At least 42 people were killed after gunmen opened fire on a convoy of vehicles carrying Shiite Muslims in northwest Pakistan on Thursday in what has been termed as one of the country’s deadliest sectarian attacks in recent years.
The attack occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province – an area with a history of sectarian violence between Sunni and Shiite communities.
The convoy, travelling from Parachinar to Peshawar, was ambushed despite prior threats to Shiites in the region. At least 20 others were also injured in the attack which happened in Kurram district. An eyewitness, Mir Hussain, 35, said he saw four gunmen emerge from a vehicle and open fire on buses and cars.
“I think other people were also firing at the convoy of vehicles from nearby open farm field,” he told the Associated Press. “The firing continued for about 40 minutes.”
He said he hid until the attackers fled. “I heard cries of women, and people were shouting for help.”
According to Dawn newspaper, Pakistan’s interior minister Mohsin Naqvi told reporters that the toll was 38 on Thursday. “This past week has been difficult and upsetting, now 38 people have been martyred in Kurram. We see a new incident every day now and are in constant contact with the KP authorities, KP inspector general of police and the chief minister.”
KP government spokesperson Barrister Dr Saif provided details of the attack, stating that the gunmen first targeted police personnel before opening fire on the passenger convoy from both sides.
“The convoy consisted of around 200 vehicles,” he said.
Barrister Saif added that an investigation into the incident is currently underway.
Kurram deputy commissioner, Javedullah Mehsud, told AFP that “two separate convoys of members of the Shia community … were targeted by the terrorists in the Kurram district.
“Both convoys consisted of around 40 vehicles travelling under police escort,” he said.
Shiite Muslims constitute about 15 per cent of Pakistan’s 240 million population, where the majority are Sunni Muslims. The country has a long-standing history of sectarian tensions between the two communities.
While they generally coexist peacefully, certain areas, particularly in Kurram, where Shiites form the majority, have seen recurring conflicts. In July, clashes over a land dispute in Kurram escalated into sectarian violence, leaving nearly 50 people dead from both sides.
Baqir Haideri, a local Shiite leader, criticised local authorities for failing to provide sufficient security for the convoy of over 100 vehicles, despite prior threats from militants targeting Shiites in Kurram.
President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the attack, while prime minister Shehbaz Sharif vowed to bring those responsible for the killing of innocent civilians to justice. “Attacking innocent passengers is a cowardly and inhumane act,” Mr Zardari said.
Mr Sharif said: “The enemies of the peace of the country attacked the convoy of innocent citizens which is tantamount to brutality. All attempts of anti-national elements to destroy the peace of the beloved country will be thwarted.
“The evil elements involved in the incident will be identified and punished accordingly. Saboteurs cannot demoralise the brave Pakistani nation by such cowardly actions,” he said.
Meanwhile, in response to the attack, shop owners in Parachinar announced a strike for Friday as a form of protest.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the Thursday attack, though militant organisations such as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have a history of targeting Shiite Muslims in the district, the New York Times reported.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan accused the government of failing to protect citizens in Kurram. “We demand immediate and decisive steps from both governments to permanently break this cycle of violence,” the commission said in a statement.
Additional reporting by agencies.
