At least 36 people have been killed, and 80 others injured in six days of violent clashes between two warring tribes in Pakistan’s restive Kurram district, police reported on Thursday.
The fighting erupted over a land dispute, despite efforts by the government and tribal elders to quell tensions. The region, located along the Afghan border, has long been plagued by violence, sectarian tensions, and militant activities.
“So far, 36 people have been killed and 80 others injured in clashes during the last six days,” police confirmed.
Locals, however, claim the casualty figures are much higher.
The conflict has escalated across areas such as Balishkhel, Sadda, Khar Kallay, Peewar, and Maqbal, regions near Afghanistan’s Khost, Paktia, Logar, and Nangarhar provinces, strongholds for ISIS and the Pakistan Taliban.
The violence follows a similar incident in July, where clashes between the Boshehra and Maleekhel tribes in the same region left 50 dead and over 225 injured.
Despite intervention from a jirga (tribal council), which includes both tribal elders and government officials, there has been little success in containing the clashes. Fresh exchanges of heavy gunfire on Thursday claimed six more lives and injured ten others.
Both sides have continued to fire at each other using a variety of weapons, including both small and large arms, police said. The intensity of the fighting has forced the closure of the Parachinar-Peshawar main road and the Pak-Afghan Kharlachi border, disrupting vital transportation links.
The road blockade has led to severe shortages of essential supplies, including food, fuel, and medicine, exacerbating the difficulties for local residents. All schools, both public and private, in the affected areas, including Parachinar City, have remained closed for six consecutive days.
Deputy Commissioner Javedullah Mehsud said ongoing efforts are being made to secure a ceasefire. “The district administration, police, military leadership, and tribal elders are working together to bring peace to the region,” he said, adding that Jirga members had been dispatched to different areas to engage with stakeholders.
Meanwhile, the Kurram Bar Association has moved a local court, citing the frequent tribal clashes and widespread lawlessness, which they claim have made everyday life unbearable for ordinary people in the region.
Kurram district, a mountainous area in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, shares a long border with Afghanistan and has a history of violent tribal and sectarian conflicts, as well as militant attacks.
In July, similar tribal clashes turned into sectarian violence, spreading to areas including Peewar, Tangi, Balishkhel, Khaar Kalay, and Karman, before ending with a peace agreement brokered by Jirga leaders.
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