Attack on a convoy of Shias in Pakistan: 38 victims

At least 38 people, including six women, were killed when militants attacked a Shiite convoy in northwestern Pakistan. Another 20 people were injured. This is one of the bloodiest attacks in the region in recent years, ArbatMedia reports.

The attack took place in the Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where sectarian clashes between Sunnis and Shiites have killed dozens in recent months. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. The incident occurred a week after the re-opening of an important highway in the region that had been closed for several weeks due to clashes, the Associated Press reports.

A convoy of several vehicles was on its way from Parachinar to Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, when militants opened fire, local police spokesman Azmat Ali said. He said that at least 10 passengers are in hospital and in serious condition.

According to Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, at least 38 people were killed as a result of the terrorist attack. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the attack. Sharif announced that those who killed civilians would be punished.

Local Shia leader Baqir Haideri condemned the attack and said the death toll could rise. He accused the local government of not taking security measures knowing that militants who had recently threatened Shiites in Kurram could attack a convoy of more than 100 vehicles. Shopkeepers in Parachinar went on strike on Friday to protest the attack.

On the other hand, on the night of the attack, there were reports on social media that an armed Shiite mob led by Liwa al-Zeinabiyyun mercenaries attacked the city of Bagan, setting fire to local Sunni shops, a gas station and administrative buildings. The commander of Iranian mercenaries, Tehran Tori, was also seen among the attackers.

After that, the Sunni tribes began to gather troops to fight against the Shiites. Clashes reportedly continued throughout the night in large parts of the district. The local mass media are dissatisfied with the inaction of the army and the police.

Shias make up about 15 percent of Pakistan's predominantly Sunni population of 240 million. Sectarian conflicts have been going on in the country for a long time. Although Shias and Sunnis live mostly in peace, tensions have persisted for decades in some areas, particularly in the Shia-majority Kurram region. In July, clashes between Sunnis and Shiites in Kurram left around 50 people dead on both sides.

According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), 79 people were killed in armed clashes between Shia and Sunni tribes in the mountainous region between July and October.