Two more people have been killed, and 10 additional injuries in fresh clashes during ongoing tribal conflicts in Kurram District, in pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, as per the News International reported.
Police report that, the violence, which has been ongoing for ten days, has claimed 124 deaths and 178 injuries till date.
As per the News International report, The Kurram region is facing a communication blackout, with mobile and internet services have been suspended, and schools are shut down. the News International reported.
The district administration reported that the prolonged closure of the main Peshawar-Parachinar highway is significantly disrupting daily life and trade. As per the report efforts to restore peace are ongoing, with Deputy Commissioner Javed Ullah Mehsud noting that negotiations are underway with representatives from both conflicting groups. He expressed optimism about achieving a ceasefire and the reopening of transport routes. Meantime, judicial officials are trapped in Parachinar due to the ongoing unrest.
The President of the Sadda Tehsil Bar reported that 2 judges and 25 judicial staff members have been stranded in the area for the past 10 days. Although the provincial government suggested airlifting them by helicopter, no rescue operation has been conducted so far. The situation has been tense since November 21, with violence continuing despite a recent ceasefire agreement. A 10-day truce was negotiated earlier in the week, but sporadic violence has made it ineffective.
The latest surge of violence began nine days ago with ambushes on two police-escort convoys, resulting in 52 deaths on the first day. Since then, clashes between the rival factions has intensified, and police struggling to maintain order, the News International reported.
The shutdown of the main highway has disrupted local transportation and suspended trade with Afghanistan, particularly at the Kharlachi border. At the same, the district administration is actively working to enforce the ceasefire.
The Pakistan’s Human Rights Commission has reported 79 deaths in the region between July and October this year, highlighting the ongoing instability. Previous peace efforts, including a seven-day truce arranged by provincial authorities earlier this month, have collapsed. A high-level delegation, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry and IGP Akhtar Hayat Gandapur, also brokered a ceasefire last weekend, but violence quickly resumed.