Pakistan: 43 killed, over 170 injured in tribal clashes
Pakistani sources report that the death toll and number of wounded have risen in the Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, northwestern Pakistan.
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Traces of sabotage in Kurram District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, northwest Pakistan on July 28, 2024 (Social media)
The death toll from tribal clashes in the Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province in northwestern Pakistan has risen to 43 dead and more than 170 others injured, as the clashes enter their sixth day, according to local media.
The Pakistan Observer newspaper said that the number of dead and wounded has risen amid attempts by tribal elders and the government to resolve the conflict between the two tribes.
The clashes erupted six days ago over a dispute over ownership of a piece of land, which spread to other nearby areas, closing major roads in Kurram.
According to the Pakistani newspaper Dawn, all educational institutions and markets remained closed throughout the weekend, while traffic on main roads remained suspended. The newspaper quoted local residents as saying that “the road closures led to a shortage of food and medicines in the area.”
Pakistani media reported that local officials in the region have announced a ceasefire in one area; however, clashes continue unabated in other locations.
Days earlier, the media disclosed that the warring factions were deploying heavy weapons and long-range missiles, significantly impacting ordinary residents in the affected areas.
The Kurram tribal region, situated along Pakistan's border with Afghanistan in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, has a history of tribal conflicts, religious tensions, and occasional armed attacks.
A significant conflict erupted in the area in 2007 and persisted until 2011. It was only resolved when a jirga, a traditional assembly of tribal elders, successfully mediated the dispute four years after it began.