AhlulBayt News Agency: Gunmen opened fire on Shia Muslims passenger vehicles in a tribal area in northwestern Pakistan on Thursday, killing at least 39 people and wounding 28, the chief secretary of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry, said. Among the fatalities in the attack, which occurred in the Kurram tribal district, were a woman and a child, Chaudhry said, adding: “It’s a major tragedy and death toll is likely to rise."
The convoy of vehicles was travelling from Parachinar to Peshawar when unidentified gunmen attacked in the Uchat area of Kurram district.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack yet. Moreover, Pakistan has seen a surge in terrorist attacks in the past months.
According to police and hospital sources, a convoy of passenger vehicles was going from Parachinar to Peshawar, and similarly, a convoy was going from Peshawar to Parachinar. As soon as this convoy of 200 vehicles reached the Mandori Charkhil and Uchat areas of Lower Kurram, it was ambushed by armed men.
Witnesses reported that the assailants indiscriminately targeted the vehicles, causing significant casualties. Hospital sources confirmed that the bodies of five victims, including a woman, were shifted to Alizai, while eight injured individuals were admitted to Mandori hospital for treatment. Moreover, 12 of the injured, including two women, were shifted to CMH Tal, while 16 injured were taken to Alizai Tehsil Headquarters Hospital.
Bangash, the leader of the Turi Bangash tribe, says that dozens of passengers are still stranded in the area. The forces should take immediate action, evacuate them safely from the area and take immediate steps to save the lives of the injured.
Tribal leaders Jalal Bangash and Allama Tajammul Hussain also condemned the killing and said that for the past one and a half months, they had been requesting the government to secure the transportation routes. Moreover, more than 100,000 people organised a peaceful walk from Parachinar to Peshawar and Islamabad as a protest two weeks ago, after which convoys were resumed.
But, they claimed, effective steps were not taken to secure the routes, due to which such a tragic incident happened.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the heinous act, expressing deep sorrow over the loss of innocent lives. "Those who target innocent people do not deserve any concession," he stated, offering heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families.
The minister assured that the government’s full sympathies are with the victims’ families and vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice.
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The convoy of vehicles was travelling from Parachinar to Peshawar when unidentified gunmen attacked in the Uchat area of Kurram district.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack yet. Moreover, Pakistan has seen a surge in terrorist attacks in the past months.
According to police and hospital sources, a convoy of passenger vehicles was going from Parachinar to Peshawar, and similarly, a convoy was going from Peshawar to Parachinar. As soon as this convoy of 200 vehicles reached the Mandori Charkhil and Uchat areas of Lower Kurram, it was ambushed by armed men.
Witnesses reported that the assailants indiscriminately targeted the vehicles, causing significant casualties. Hospital sources confirmed that the bodies of five victims, including a woman, were shifted to Alizai, while eight injured individuals were admitted to Mandori hospital for treatment. Moreover, 12 of the injured, including two women, were shifted to CMH Tal, while 16 injured were taken to Alizai Tehsil Headquarters Hospital.
Bangash, the leader of the Turi Bangash tribe, says that dozens of passengers are still stranded in the area. The forces should take immediate action, evacuate them safely from the area and take immediate steps to save the lives of the injured.
Tribal leaders Jalal Bangash and Allama Tajammul Hussain also condemned the killing and said that for the past one and a half months, they had been requesting the government to secure the transportation routes. Moreover, more than 100,000 people organised a peaceful walk from Parachinar to Peshawar and Islamabad as a protest two weeks ago, after which convoys were resumed.
But, they claimed, effective steps were not taken to secure the routes, due to which such a tragic incident happened.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the heinous act, expressing deep sorrow over the loss of innocent lives. "Those who target innocent people do not deserve any concession," he stated, offering heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families.
The minister assured that the government’s full sympathies are with the victims’ families and vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice.
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