The death toll in Kurram reaches 88 as sporadic clashes continue to claim the lives of the people in the valley. Nearly 111 people have been injured in four days.
Officials claim the overnight firing between tribes divided on sectarian lines left one man dead and four others injured in Lower Kurram. There were also reports of an exchange of fire and incidents of arson from different areas in the region.
Authorities believe a week-long ceasefire deal was brokered, however, the appeal for peace has fallen on deaf ears. Initially, both sides took measures to follow the ceasefire deal which included the release of five women hostages held by one side and the return of two dead bodies. However, clashes continue in the Alizai and Bagan areas of Lower Kurram and Khar Kalay and Baleechkhel areas of Upper Kurram.
Due to clashes and fuel shortages, all the educational institutions in Kurram district have been closed. The Kohat Educational Board also postponed the examinations.
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Sources claim a delegation of government reached Kurram on Sunday for a peace negotiation between the two tribes. The delegation comprised of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa spokesperson Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, Provincial Law Minister Aftab Alam, Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam, IGP Akhtar Hayat Gandapur, and Kohat Commissioner.
Community leaders demanded that the delegation reopen and secure the main highway for safe travel.
A fresh wave of clashes has erupted in the district following the merciless killing of 50 people by unidentified gunmen in Parachinar. The gunmen opened fire on a convoy killing 50 people. By Monday, the death toll from clashes reached 83. On Sunday, the local tribes used heavy weaponry against each other. Between Saturday and Sunday, 18 people were killed.
The district borders with Afghanistan and has long been a center of sectarian tensions often triggered by land disputes.