Representative image.
Credit: PTI
Peshawar: Heavily-armed militants on Thursday ambushed dozens of vehicles carrying passengers in Pakistan's restive northwest, killing around 50 people, mostly Shias, in one of the worst attacks in the region in recent years.
The militants attacked the convoy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Kurram district, bordering Afghanistan, which has witnessed deadly sectarian clashes between Shia and Sunni religious groups as well as militant attacks in the past resulting in dozens of deaths in recent months.
Rescue authorities said around 50 people, including eight women and five children, were killed and 20 others injured in the attack. Most of the victims belonged to the minority Shia community, they said.
Javed Ullah Mehsud, the deputy commissioner of Kurram, confirmed that 45 people have died in the attack on the convoy.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. However, the vehicles were ambushed in areas dominated by the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan militant group, a local journalist said.
Nearly 50 vehicles were travelling in the convoy from Parachinar to Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa when gunmen opened fire, police said. KPK Government spokesperson had earlier said that there were nearly 200 vehicles in the convoy.
President Asif Ali Zardari strongly condemned the attack, terming it a "cowardly and inhumane act."
He said that those responsible for the incident should be punished. He urged that timely medical aid be provided to the injured.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also condemned the attack and ordered that the best medical facilities be provided to the injured people.
He issued a directive to identify the attackers and punish them.
“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," he said.
“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.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur strongly condemned the attack and directed a delegation comprising the provincial law minister, lawmakers from the region, and the chief secretary to immediately visit Kurram to assess the situation and submit a report.
He also instructed relevant authorities to work on establishing a Provincial Highways Police unit to secure all roads in the province.
Gandapur extended condolences to the bereaved families and announced financial assistance for the families of the victims.
"Targeting innocent civilians is extremely tragic and condemnable. Those involved in this incident will not escape the grip of the law," he said.
In September, more than 50 people were killed and 120 others injured in clashes spread over eight days between Shia and Sunni tribes over a piece of land in Kurram district.
The intensity of the fighting had 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.
The fighting had 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.
Similar clashes in the same region in July left dozens of people dead and more than 225 injured.