Gunmen Kill 42 Shiites in Sectarian Attack in Pakistan

Greenwatch Desk Hate campaign 2024-11-22, 8:57am

Gunmen ambushed vehicles carrying Shiite Muslims in Pakistan's northwest Kurram district on Thursday, killing at least 42 people, including six women, and injuring 20 others in one of the deadliest sectarian attacks in recent years. Police reported that the victims were traveling in a convoy from Parachinar to Peshawar when the assailants opened fire.

The attack occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, an area plagued by sectarian violence between the Sunni Muslim majority and Shiite minority. No group has claimed responsibility for the assault, which follows the reopening of a major highway a week earlier after deadly clashes in the region.

Local police official Azmat Ali said at least 10 people were critically injured. Aftab Alam, a provincial minister, confirmed the death toll and said investigations were underway. The attack has been labeled a "terrorist attack" by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, while Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the violence and vowed justice for the victims.

Witnesses described the horrific scene. Mir Hussain, a local resident, recounted seeing four gunmen firing on the convoy, with other attackers possibly positioned in nearby fields. "The firing continued for about 40 minutes," he said. "I heard cries of women, and people were shouting for help."

Ibne Ali Bangash, a relative of one of the victims, called it "the saddest day in Kurram’s history." He criticized the government, saying, "More than 40 people from our community have been martyred. It’s a shameful matter for the government."

Shiite leader Baqir Haideri also condemned the assault, asserting that local authorities failed to provide adequate security, despite intelligence warnings of possible attacks. The convoy, carrying more than 100 vehicles, was vulnerable to such violence, he said.

In protest, shopkeepers in Parachinar held a strike on Friday. The attack underscores the long-standing sectarian tensions in the region, particularly in Kurram, where Shiites make up the majority. Despite Pakistan's overall Sunni majority, Shiite communities—about 15% of the population—have long faced sectarian violence, especially in volatile areas like Kurram.

The attack is part of a broader trend of escalating violence in northwest and southwest Pakistan, where militants, including the Pakistani Taliban, frequently target security forces and civilians. Since July, Kurram has been gripped by violence stemming from a land dispute that has spiraled into widespread sectarian conflict, with both Sunni and Shiite communities suffering casualties.