PARACHINAR, Pakistan — A convoy of aid trucks, which was delivering food and essential supplies to the many residents affected by sectarian violence in a troubled district of northwestern Pakistan, was targeted by a rocket attack on Thursday, as reported by officials.

During the subsequent firefight in Bagan, a city located in the Kurram district, one security personnel who was part of the escort lost their life, along with six assailants. This region has suffered recent violence, with at least 130 fatalities in clashes between the Shiite and Sunni communities over the past few months.

Muzammil Hussain, the mayor of Bagan, mentioned that some aid trucks were not only looted but also set ablaze by the attackers. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the assault, and district administrator Saeed Manan indicated that the aid convoy had to be turned back due to security concerns, without providing additional information.

This attack occurred a few weeks after the government managed to broker a ceasefire agreement between local tribal leaders. It also follows the arrival of the first aid convoy in Kurram, which faced violence on November 21 when gunmen ambushed a vehicle caravan, resulting in 52 deaths, predominantly among Shiite Muslims, stemming from a land dispute.

In Kurram, Shiite Muslims hold a majority in certain areas, yet they remain a minority across the rest of Pakistan, which is predominantly Sunni. The district has a long-standing record of sectarian tensions, where militant Sunni groups have historically targeted the Shiite community.

In recent years, there has been an uptick in the attacks directed towards security personnel in the northwest and elsewhere in the nation, with authorities attributing these actions to the Pakistani Taliban. In a recent security operation in the Tirah Valley, situated in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the military reported that they had eliminated 22 militants, identifying the deceased as “Khwarij,” a term commonly used by the government to refer to members of the Pakistani Taliban (TTP), who are allied with the Afghan Taliban. This group has gained confidence following the Afghan Taliban’s rise to power in Afghanistan in 2022.