Kurram death toll rises to 73 as sporadic clashes continue

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KURRAM: Officials on Monday said the death toll from the recent violence that has plagued the restive Kurram tribal district had risen to 73, amid a tenuous ceasefire that is interrupted by sporadic gunfire.

Officials said that overnight firing between tribes divided along sectarian lines left one man dead and four others wounded in Lower Kurram. There were also reports of an exc­hange of fire and incidents of arson from different areas in the region.

Authorities acknowledged that the two sides had taken steps to abide by the terms of the week-long ceasefire, including the release of five women held hostage by one side and the return of two dead bodies.

While officials continued to work behind the scenes to keep the situation under control and pre-empt further escalation, the political leadership was conspicuous by its absence, as it is supposed to take the process forward and work towards a permanent ceasefire.

Overnight firing between tribes in Lower Kurram leaves one dead, four others wounded

Sources said that an official delegation of the provincial government on Sunday negotiated a ceasefire between the two groups, who agreed to release hostages besides returning the bodies as well. One group, however, refused to release hostages, they said.

Locals reported that incidents of gunfire continued in Alizai and Bagan areas of Lower Kurram and Khar Kalay and Baleechkhel areas of Upper Kurram.

The clashes broke out on Thursday after a convoy of passenger vehicles came under attack in Lower Kurram and resulted in the death of at least 39 people. The attack, allegedly a reprisal for an earlier assault on Oct 12, triggered a wave of violence in the district.

The number fatalities since Thursday’s attack has risen due to the death of critically wounded individuals. The total number of those with injuries due to armed clashes now stands at 63, officials said.

Soon after the attack, Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur had ordered an official delegation comprising Minister for Law Aftab Alam Afridi, Adviser to Chief Minister on Information Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry and police chief Akhtar Hayat Khan to visit the district and assess the situation.

On Sunday, Mr Saif said that the warring groups had agreed to a week-long ceasefire, an exchange of hostages and retrieval of bodies.

The district, which borders Afgha­n­is­tan, has long been plagued by sectarian tensions, often fuelled by disputes over land ownership. While the government-appointed land commission reportedly submitted its findings in the past, the report remains unpublished due to sectarian sensitivities.

Meanwhile, educational institutions and markets remained closed on the fifth day of the armed conflict while annual FSc exams, being held by the Kohat educational board, were also postponed.

Head of the private school teachers’ association Muhammad Hayat Khan said that the exams were postponed indefinitely and that all the educational institutions in the area were closed.

Published in Dawn, November 26th, 2024