Death toll from clashes in Kurram district rises to nine

KURRAM: The ongoing clashes between two tribes over a disputed piece of land, Shalimat, have resulted in a death toll of at least nine people and numerous injuries in various areas of the Kurram tribal district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

According to Dawn, Kurram District Headquarters Hospital Medical Superintendent of Dr Qaiser Abbas Banghash confirmed that 42 individuals sustained injuries, with three of them in critical condition.

“We are doing our utmost to save their lives, but we are facing challenges due to the shortage of medicines in the district,” Dr Banghash said.

Sources said that the clashes initially erupted in the Boshehra Dandar locality of Parachinar, the district headquarters, before spreading to Khar Kallay, Balishkhel, Pewar, and Teri Mengal.

The sources further said that five fatalities occurred during the first two days of the clashes, with an additional casualty reported in Teri Mengal on Sunday. “One person died, and two others were critically wounded in Balishkhel and Khar Kallay,” the sources said.

Dr Banghash added that two individuals lost their lives, and three others were injured in Pewar as a result of gunfire on Monday.

To establish a ceasefire between the warring tribes, Kurram Deputy Commissioner Syed Saiful Islam Shah said that the district administration and security forces were working in collaboration with tribal chiefs.

Meanwhile, Sajid Hussain Turi, the Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, announced to visit Kurram, emphasizing his commitment to ensuring peace between the feuding tribes.

“The police, army, and tribal elders are striving to achieve a ceasefire in the Pewar, Balishkhel, and Khar Kallay areas,” he said.

The clashes have severely disrupted the routine life of citizens and businesses in the district. Haji Afzal, a local resident, told Dawn that schools had been closed for weeks, roads were blocked, and shops had shut down for four days. The scarcity of food and medical supplies has further exacerbated the situation.

“Individuals who traveled to their hometowns during the Eid-ul-Azha holidays are now unable to return to cities such as Peshawar,” Afzal said expressing concerns over the plight of the affected population.