“Among the many deceased, 16 have been Sunni, whereas 66 belonged to the Shia neighborhood,” stated a neighborhood administration official in Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, talking on situation of anonymity.
Pakistan is a Sunni-majority nation however Kurram district — close to the border with Afghanistan — has a big Shiite inhabitants and the communities have clashed for many years.
The newest bout of violence started on Thursday when two separate convoys of Shiite Muslims travelling below police escort have been ambushed, killing not less than 43 and sparking two days of gun battles.
“Our precedence at present is to dealer a ceasefire between either side. As soon as that’s achieved, we will start addressing the underlying points,” provincial Legislation Minister Aftab Alam Afridi stated Sunday.