On 21 November 2024, gunmen attacked a large convoy of vehicles transporting Shiite Muslims in the Kurram District of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, killing at least 54 people and injuring 30 others. The attack was one of northwestern Pakistan's deadliest incidents of sectarian violence in recent years.[4] The attack was described as a "terrorist attack" by Pakistani authorities.[5]
| 2024 Kurram attack | |
|---|---|
| Part of the sectarian violence in Pakistan, insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | |
 | |
| Location | Kurram District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan |
| Date | 21 November 2024 |
| Target | A large convoy of 200 vehicles transporting Shiite Muslims |
Attack type | Mass shooting, ambush |
| Deaths | 54[1] |
| Injured | 30[2][3] (16 critically) |
| Perpetrators | Islamic State (suspected) |
No. of participants | 4 |
| Motive | Anti-Shi'ism |
Background
editThe attack, one of northwestern Pakistan's deadliest incidents of sectarian violence in recent years, marked a significant escalation in sectarian tensions that had already claimed numerous lives in preceding months.[citation needed]
Sunni and Shia Muslims are in conflict in the region over a dispute over land.[6] Half of the population of the Kurram region are Shiite Muslims, while the majority of Pakistan are Sunni Muslims.[4]
Attack
editFour gunmen emerged from a vehicle and opened fire on a convoy of over 200 vehicles containing Shiite Muslims traveling from Parachinar to Peshawar along a remote highway. The gunmen initially targeted police escort vehicles, who were assigned to protect the convoy due to prior instances of sectarian violence on roadways, before firing on the passengers.[7] Additional attackers reportedly fired from nearby farm fields.[5]
The assault lasted approximately 40 minutes, claiming the lives of over 38 men, five children and eight women, while leaving dozens of victims in critical condition at local hospitals. No group initially claimed responsibility for the attack.[5][8]
Aftermath
editThe attack triggered renewed sectarian clashes in Kurram. Rioters in the villages of Bagan and Bacha Kot set fire to shops, houses and government buildings.[9] Protesters in Parachinar set ablaze two police checkpoints.[10] Reports emerged of intense gunfire in Lower Kurram Agency between the Alizai and Bagan tribes.[9][11] By 28 November, 110 people had been killed in fighting across Kurram[11] with an additional 150 being wounded as well as over 300 shops and 100 houses being razed.[12][13]
Internet was shut down, mobile services were suspended, schools were closed and a severe medicine and food shortage occurred after the attack.[14]
Reactions
editDomestic
editThe incident prompted immediate responses from Pakistan's leadership: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi categorized it as a terrorist attack,[5] while Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari issued strong condemnations and promises of justice against the parties responsible. Heightened security measures were implemented.[5] Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry, Chief Secretary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, called the attack a "major tragedy" and said the death toll was likely to rise.[6]
Local Shiite leaders criticized authorities for failing to provide adequate security despite recent threats against the Shiite community. Several shop owners in Parachinar went on strike in protest against regional violence.[5][15]
Foreign governments
editIranian President Masoud Pezeshkian condemned the attack, expressing his condolences to the government Pakistan and the families of the victims. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on his X account, "Our condolences to the victims' families and the people and government of brotherly Pakistan. We ask Almighty Allah for the speedy recovery of those injured. We spare no effort in strengthening bilateral and multilateral coordination and cooperation to uproot the scourge of terrorism".[16]
US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller expressed solidarity with Pakistan during a press briefing, condemning the attack and expressing sympathy for the victims and their families. MIller additionally highlighted the United States' cooperation with the Pakistani government in counterterrorism.[17] Spokesperson of the US embassy in Islamabad Jonathan Lalley expressed a similar sentiment to the State Department, stating that Pakistanis 'deserve to live free from harm, danger, and threat, and to feel protected and secure in their daily lives' and that the US will remain a 'steadfast partner' to the nation.[18][19] Additional messages of solidarity were issued by the Australian, Iranian and Russian embassies in Islamabad.[20]
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ "Fear Grips Pakistan's Kurram District As 50 Killed In Cold Blood". MENAFN. 22 November 2024. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
- ^ Farooq Khan, Omer (22 November 2024). "Gunmen kill 50 in ambush on convoy in Pakistan's Kurram district". MSN via The Times of India. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
- ^ 39 killed in Kurram convoy bloodbath
- ^ a b ur-Rehman, Zia (21 November 2024). "At Least 38 Killed as Gunmen Ambush Shiite Convoys in Pakistan".
- ^ a b c d e f "At least 42 killed as gunmen open fire on vehicles carrying Shiites in northwest Pakistan". AP News. 21 November 2024. Archived from the original on 21 November 2024. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
- ^ a b Ali, Mushtaq (21 November 2024). "Gunmen attack Pakistan passenger vehicles, killing at least 38 people". MSN. Reuters. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
- ^ Drury, Flora (22 November 2024). "Pakistan: Dozens dead in attack on passenger vehicles in Kurram". BBC News. Archived from the original on 21 November 2024. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
- ^ "Death toll from Kurram gun attack rises to 54". 24 News. 24 November 2024. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
- ^ a b "Violence Erupts in Kurram as Clashes Leave 18 Dead, Protests Sweep Pakistan After Massacre". Tribal News Network. 23 November 2024. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
- ^ "Protests over Kurram massacre turn violent". The Express Tribune. 23 November 2024. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
- ^ a b Khan, Riaz (23 November 2024). "Fighting between armed sectarian groups in restive northwestern Pakistan kills at least 33 people". AP News. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
- ^ "Kurram's Struggle: Severe Shortages Of Medicine And Food Amid Ongoing Violence, Death Toll Reaches 110". MENAFN. 28 November 2024. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
- ^ 32 killed in new sectarian violence in Pakistan
- ^ "Death Toll Rises To 102 As Kurram Violence Continues Amid Internet Blackout And School Closures". MENAFN. 27 November 2024. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
- ^ "Hundreds flee deadly sectarian violence in north-west Pakistan". The Guadian.
- ^ "Pezeshkian, Araghchi condemn terrorist attack in Pakistan". Mehr News Agency. 22 November 2024. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
- ^ "US condemns surge in terrorist attacks in Pakistan, reaffirms continued support". The Nation. 20 November 2024. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
- ^ "STATEMENT BY U.S. MISSION SPOKESPERSON JONATHAN LALLEY ON THE ATTACK IN KURRAM". U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Pakistan. 22 November 2024. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
- ^ Khan, Naimat (22 November 2024). "US vows to be 'steadfast partner' after deadly attack in Pakistan's Kurram district". Arab News. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
- ^ Achakzai, Jamila (23 November 2024). "Foreign missions condemn Kurram attack". The News International. Retrieved 23 November 2024.