PESHAWAR: In one of the deadliest attacks in recent years, gunmen in Pakistan’s unrest-plagued northwest opened fire on trucks transporting Shiite Muslims on Thursday, killing at least 42 people – including six women – and injuring 20 more, authorities informed.
Kurram, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, was the scene of the incident. In recent months, sectarian conflicts between the majority Sunni Muslims and the minority Shiites have claimed the lives of hundreds of people.
The most recent incident was not immediately attributed to anyone. It happened a week after authorities reopened a crucial highway that had been closed for weeks due to fatal conflicts.
When gunmen started fire, a convoy of numerous vehicles was making its way from the city of Parachinar to Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to local police official Azmat Ali. According to him, a hospital was treating at least ten people in critical condition.
42 people were killed in the incident, according to province minister Aftab Alam, and police were looking into who was responsible.
The gunshots were described as a "terrorist attack" by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. The attack was denounced by President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who also promised that those responsible for the deaths of innocent people will face consequences.
The convoy attack was the most tragic day in Kurram's history, according to Ibne Ali Bangash, a relative of one killed.
“More than 40 people from our community have been martyred,” he said. “It’s a shameful matter for the government."
The attack was condemned by local Shiite leader Baqir Haideri, who also predicted that the death toll will definitely increase. Despite concerns of potential assaults by extremists who had lately threatened to target Shiites in Kurram, he accused local authorities of failing to provide sufficient security for the convoy of over 100 vehicles.
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