Five killed, fifteen injured in Kurram clashes as violence enters eighth day

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa [Pakistan], September 27 : On Friday, five individuals lost their lives, and 15 others were injured as ongoing clashes - first reported last week - between rival tribes in various regions of Kurram district entered their eighth day. This escalation has raised the total casualties to 46 deceased and 96 injured, according to a hospital official.
According to police and hospital sources last week, the conflict began when the Boshehra tribes in upper Kurram started constructing bunkers on the land belonging to Ahmadzai tribes, rapidly expanding the dispute to other areas, Dawn reported.
On Wednesday, sources indicated that at least ten more people were killed or injured in Balishkhel, Sadda, Khar Kallay, Peewar, Maqbal, and other locations, noting that the main Parachinar Highway and other routes were closed due to traffic disruptions.
Qaiser Abbas Banghash, Medical Superintendent at Kurram District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ), confirmed the updated death toll on September 27.
Former federal minister Sajid Toori acknowledged that armed clashes had severely impacted daily life but expressed hope for a return to normalcy soon, urging people to resolve their issues peacefully.
In a separate event, Majlis Wahdat Muslimeen (MWM) parliamentary leader Engineer Hameed Hussain staged a protest outside the Parachinar Press Club, citing the failure of responsible institutions to establish peace, reported Dawn.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur stated a day earlier that significant efforts were underway to uphold law and order in the province, particularly in the southern districts.
"After the improvement of the law and order situation in southern districts, more checkposts will be handed over to the police. However, before that happens, there is a need for enhancing the capabilities of police," CM Gandapur said in a statement issued from the chief minister's secretariat on Thursday.
The chief minister remarked that the ongoing conflict in Kurram tribal district involved specific groups and that the provincial government was taking measures to peacefully resolve the situation.
He noted that the provincial government was striving for a permanent resolution to the issue.
Gandapur mentioned that negotiations were also in progress to address the conflict in Khyber tribal district and that a resolution was expected by Friday, Dawn reported.
He added that residents in the Mir Ali area would receive compensation and that the cattle market would be returned to the locals following reconstruction, stating that the relief department had issued necessary directives in this regard.