Gunmen Target Passenger Convoy in Northwest Pakistan, Killing 50

Gunmen ambushed a convoy of passenger vehicles in the restive Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan on Thursday, killing at least 50 people, including six women, 5 children, and injuring 20 others, police said. The attack, one of the deadliest in the region in recent years, targeted Shia Muslim civilians traveling from Parachinar to Peshawar.

 

 

The vehicles were part of a convoy when unidentified gunmen opened fire indiscriminately, according to local police official. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, which has intensified fears of escalating sectarian violence in the region.

 

 

Kurram, a district plagued by sectarian strife, has seen frequent clashes between Sunni and Shia Muslim communities. Just two months ago, over 50 people were killed, and 120 were injured in an eight-day conflict over land disputes between Sunni and Shia tribes in the area.

 

 

Authorities had recently reopened a major highway in the region after weeks of closure following the deadly clashes, hoping to restore normalcy. However, Thursday’s attack underscores the ongoing volatility in Kurram.

 

 

Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the violence, extended condolences to the victims’ families, and called for immediate action against those responsible. “Such barbaric acts will not deter our resolve to ensure peace in the region,” he said in a statement.

(With agency inputs)