Dozens killed in sectarian violence in Pakistan – AP

Clashes have erupted after the latest deadly attack on Shiite Muslims reportedly claimed the lives of 37 people

At least 37 people were killed and 47 injured as a result of sectarian clashes in the northwestern Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a senior police officer from the region told AP on Saturday.

Another round of sporadic fighting between Sunni and Shiite Muslims in the mountainous region bordering Afghanistan flared up shortly after gunmen opened fire on two separate convoys of Shia pilgrims traveling with police escorts in Kurram. The attack reportedly left 42 dead and 20 wounded, with neither of the groups claiming responsibility for the attacks.

“Fighting between Shiite and Sunni communities continues at multiple locations. According to the latest reports, 32 people have been killed, which include 14 Sunnis and 18 Shiites,” the official told the news agency.

In response to the attack, on Friday evening, Shiite Muslims raided several Sunni locations in Kurram, once a semi-autonomous area known for its long history of sectarian strife between Shia and Sunni groups resulting in hundreds of deaths over the years. Shiite Muslims make up around 15% of the 240 million people in Sunni-majority Pakistan.

“Around 7 pm (14:00 GMT), a group of enraged Shiite individuals attacked the Sunni-dominated Bagan Bazaar,” a senior police officer said, as cited by Agence France-Presse.

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The station house police officer in Kurram, Saleem Shah, told AP that armed men in Bagan and Bacha Kot torched shops, houses, and government property while intense gunfire was ongoing between the Alizai and Bagan tribes in the Lower Kurram area.

“Educational institutions in Kurram are closed due to the severe tension. Both sides are targeting each other with heavy and automatic weapons,” Shah said.