Fierce clashes between Sunni and Shiite groups in Pakistan’s northwestern Kurram district have resulted in at least 33 deaths and 25 injuries, according to a high-ranking local police official who spoke on Saturday.
The violence, which erupted overnight,is the latest in Kurram, an area in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province known for its instability. This comes after a deadly attack earlier in the week that killed 42 people.
Shiite Muslims account for about 15% of Pakistan’s 240 million people, who are mostly Sunni. Although the two groups usually live together peacefully, Kurram is a place where sectarian tensions often flare up.
The officer, who requested anonymity due to lack of authorization to speak to the media, said that armed members of the Alizai and Bagan tribes in Lower Kurram were involved in intense gun battles, destroying shops, homes, and government buildings in the Bagan and Bacha Kot areas.
“Schools in Kurram are shut because of the very tense situation. Both sides are using heavy and automatic weapons against each other,” the officer said.
Footage shared to The Associated Press shows a burning market, with bright orange flames lighting up the night and the noise of gunshots in the background.
The area where the surprise attack happened on Thursday saw more fighting as armed groups walked through. People who survived the attack said attackers came out of cars and shot at buses and cars without caring who they hit.
Authorities haven’t found out why the attack happened or who did it. The ongoing violence stems because of a disagreement about land in Kurram, which turned into bigger fights between different groups, resulting in dozens of deaths since July.
