Tragedy in Kurram: Sectarian Violence Erupts Again

In northwest Pakistan, gunmen attacked passenger vehicles carrying Shiite Muslims, resulting in eight deaths and several injuries in Kurram district. This incident is part of a string of sectarian violence between Sunni and Shiite communities. The attack follows the reopening of a vital regional highway.

Gunmen struck passenger vehicles ferrying Shiite Muslims in the volatile northwest region of Pakistan on Thursday, killing at least eight individuals and leaving others injured, according to law enforcement officials. The brutal attack occurred in Kurram, a district within Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a province plagued by sectarian strife.

This latest incident is part of a troubling pattern of violence that has erupted in recent months between Sunni and minority Shiite groups in the region. The attack comes merely a week after a crucial highway in the area was reopened, following its closure due to prior deadly clashes.

Authorities had closed the highway to quell violence but reopened it due to its strategic importance. The convoy, traveling from Parachinar to Peshawar, was targeted by the gunmen in this renewed wave of sectarian violence, leaving at least five passengers fighting for their lives in hospital. The Shiite community represents about 15 percent of Pakistan's population, where longstanding Sunni-Shiite tensions persist.

(With inputs from agencies.)