The death toll from sectarian clashes in northwest Pakistan has risen to 133, the provincial government said Monday, as tribal elders failed to ensure a truce between the feuding Sunni and Shiite Muslim communities.
Pakistan is a Sunni-majority country, but Kurram – in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, near the border with Afghanistan – has a large Shiite population and the communities have clashed for decades.
At least “133 precious lives have been lost, and 177 people injured” in sporadic clashes since November 21, said a statement issued after a provincial cabinet meeting.
A tribal jirga, or council of elders, had been formed to ensure a truce that had remained elusive so far, it said.
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“Bunkers set up by armed groups in Kurram will be dismantled and heavy weaponry … will be confiscated,” the statement added.
The latest fighting broke out Thursday when two separate convoys of Shiite Muslims travelling under police escort were ambushed, killing more than 40.
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