Representative image.
Credit: Reuters File Photo
Peshawar: At least 36 people have been killed and 80 others injured in clashes between two warring tribes over a piece of land during the last six days in Pakistan's restive northwestern Kurram district, bordering Afghanistan, police said on Thursday.
According to police, the clashes started over a land dispute despite the efforts of the government and tribal elders to calm down the situation.
"So far, 36 people have been killed and 80 others injured in clashes during last six days," police said.
Locals, however, claimed much higher casualty figures.
The fighting spread to areas such as Balishkhel, Sadda, Khar Kallay, Peewar and Maqbal in the district, which borders Afghanistan's Khost, Paktia, Logar and Nangarhar provinces, which are considered strongholds of the ISIS and the Pakistan Taliban.
In July, at least 50 people were killed and more than 225 injured in week-long clashes between Boshehra and Maleekhel tribes in the same region.
A jirga (tribal council) consisting of tribal elders from both sides met with the Deputy Inspector General of Police and Commissioner Kohat to contain the clashes, without much success.
The violent clashes entered their sixth consecutive day on Thursday, with fresh exchanges of heavy gunfire across Upper, Lower, and Central tehsils, resulting in six more fatalities and ten injuries.
According to police, both sides continue targeting each other with small and large weapons. The intensity of the fighting has led to the closure of the Parachinar-Peshawar main road and the Pak-Afghan Kharlachi border, disrupting transportation and movement.
The road blockade has caused a shortage of essential items, including food, fuel, and medicines, worsening the situation for residents. Both private and public schools in the affected areas, including Parachinar City, have been closed for six days.
Deputy Commissioner Javedullah Mehsud said that efforts are ongoing for a ceasefire, with district administration, police, military leadership, and tribal elders working together to bring peace to the region. He said that the Jirga members had been dispatched to different areas to talk with stakeholders.
Meanwhile, the Kurram Bar Association has moved a local court over the frequent tribal clashes and lawlessness, which has made the lives of the common people miserable.
Kurram, a mountainous area in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that shares a long border with Afghanistan, has witnessed deadly conflicts among tribes and religious groups as well as sectarian clashes and militant attacks in the past.
The fighting in July turned into sectarian skirmishes and spread to other areas, including Peewar, Tangi, Balishkhel, Khaar Kalay, Maqbal, Kunj Alizai, Para Chamkani, and Karman. It stopped after the two sides agreed on a peace agreement brokered by Jirga leaders.