Mob ransack two check points in violence-marred NW Pakistan province

Peshawar: A mob ransacked and set fire to two police check points on Friday to protest the killing of nearly 50 people by militants in the restive province in northwest Pakistan.

Heavily-armed militants on Thursday ambushed dozens of vehicles carrying passengers in Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, killing around 50 people, mostly Shias, in one of the worst attacks in the region in recent years.

Rescue authorities said around 50 people, including eight women and five children, were killed and 20 others injured in the attack while police initially confirmed 45 deaths. The toll was raised to 47 on Friday.

No group claimed responsibility for the attack on passenger vans.

On Friday, in response to the Thurday's killings, all markets and educational institutions in Parachinar remained closed even as enraged locals blocked the main road by burning tires.

After a lot of protests, the crowd ransacked Bab-e-Kurram, an entry point to Baggan Main Bazar and burnt two police check points at Palachinar.

Deputy Commissioner Kurram Javed Ullah Mehsud said efforts are underway to save the lives of those injured in the barbaric shooting. “We will restore the routine life as quickly as possible,” he said.

A grand jirga (traditional council) will be called to discuss problems hampering restoration of peace in the district.

Meanwhile, funeral prayers were offered for the individuals who were killed in the incident in Bagan and Ochit, Lower Kurram.

Tribal leaders from Turi and Bangash communities, including Jalal Bangash, expressed their deep concerns.

They stated that for the past one and a half months, they had been demanding the government to ensure safe travel routes.

Two weeks ago, more than 1,00,000 people participated in a peace march to reopen and secure the main highway, after which the government assured them of safe convoys.

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.