Three days of intense sectarian clashes in Kurram District, northwestern Pakistan, have claimed the lives of at least 82 people and left 156 wounded, local authorities confirmed on Sunday.
The violence, which erupted on Thursday, was triggered by ambushes on two police-escorted convoys of Shia Muslims traveling through the Sunni-majority region.
These attacks left 43 people dead, sparking retaliatory gun battles that raged for days between Sunni and Shia communities.
According to local officials, the casualties include 66 Shia and 16 Sunni victims.
Heavy and light weaponry was used in the clashes, forcing over 300 families to flee their homes as the conflict escalated.
“The mobile network remains suspended across Kurram, and traffic on the main highway is at a standstill,” a local administration official reported.
Kurram District, which borders Afghanistan, has long been a flashpoint for sectarian violence. Although Pakistan is a Sunni-majority nation, Kurram has a significant Shia population, and tensions between the two communities have persisted for decades.
Since its merger with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province in 2018, police and government authorities have struggled to contain the violence in the district.
Earlier clashes in July and September resulted in dozens of deaths, and efforts to negotiate peace through tribal councils (jirgas) have provided only temporary relief.
On Saturday, a provincial government delegation initiated talks with the Shia community and planned to meet Sunni representatives on Sunday.
However, the delegation’s helicopter reportedly came under fire as it arrived in Kurram, though no injuries were reported.
“Our priority today is to broker a ceasefire between both sides. Once that is achieved, we can begin addressing the underlying issues,” said Aftab Alam Afridi, provincial Law Minister.
Despite the ongoing negotiations, tensions remain high. Last month, 16 people, including women and children, were killed in another sectarian clash in the district.
The violence has sparked protests in major cities, including Lahore and Karachi, where demonstrators demanded government action to curb the bloodshed.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has expressed alarm over the rising death toll, reporting that 79 people were killed in sectarian clashes in Kurram between July and October alone.
The latest violence underscores the fragile security situation in Pakistan’s border regions, where sectarian, tribal, and militant conflicts converge.
As families grieve and hundreds remain displaced, calls are growing for sustainable solutions to the deep-rooted divisions tearing communities apart.
