PARACHINAR, Pakistan — On Thursday, a convoy of aid trucks, laden with food and relief items for numerous distressed residents in a region plagued by sectarian violence, was targeted by a rocket attack, as reported by local officials.
The incident occurred in Bagan, a city within the Kurram district, where violent clashes between conflicting Shiite and Sunni factions have led to the deaths of at least 130 individuals in recent months. Fortunately, there were no immediate reports of injuries or fatalities resulting from the rocket assault.
Following the attack, aid official Saeed Manan confirmed that the convoy was rerouted due to safety concerns, but he did not disclose additional information regarding the incident. Furthermore, this attack transpired shortly after a ceasefire agreement was established by the government among tribal leaders in the area.
The incident also comes just days after an aid convoy successfully reached Kurram, a region that witnessed renewed violence on November 21 when armed assailants ambushed a group of vehicles, leading to the deaths of 52 people, predominantly Shiite Muslims, amid a land dispute.
In Kurram, the Shiite community constitutes a majority, whereas the overall population of Pakistan is predominantly Sunni. The region has a longstanding history of sectarian strife, with extremist Sunni groups often attacking the minority Shiite population.
In recent times, militant groups have intensified their assaults on security personnel in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other regions of the country, with the Pakistani Taliban being held responsible.
In a latest military operation in the Tirah Valley, located within Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistani forces reported the elimination of 22 militants. According to a military statement, those killed were referred to as “Khwarij,” a term employed by the government to describe members of the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has garnered confidence since the Afghan Taliban regained control in Afghanistan in 2022.
