Tariq Saeed Peshawar
Restive Kurram tribal district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that remained calm after truce was arrived at between the rival tribal groups some ten days back, again plunged into uncertainty and infighting as fresh spell of violent clashes claimed lives of 15 people and serious injuries to several others, the local officials confirmed on Saturday.
The dispute, it may be recalled, involved two rival tribes who had been fighting over a piece of land. In August last, the two sides had reached a two-month ceasefire after the armed clashes resulted in 50 casualties and wounded 226 others. However, bloody clashes re-erupted over the construction of trenches in the last week of September taking the death toll to over sixty with more than 250 injured.
During the clashes offensive was launched by the tribes in central Kurram against the tribes in Balishkhel area, which intensified the violence and spread to Pewar, Teri Mangal, Kanj Alizai, Maqbal, Para Chamkani, Karman, Sadda, Balishkhel, Sangeena, Khar Killay and other areas.
The fighting between the warring parties stopped in the first week of October also leading to opening of key border crossing at Kharlachi in Kurram district. The all-important border remained closed for nine days due to clashes near the border creating great hardships for the residents as food commodities, medicines, fuel and other daily items of daily use had gone short.
However violent clashes re-erupted on October 11 taking the death toll to well over seventy with around 300 injured till date. Kurram Deputy Commissioner Javed Ullah Mehsud said on Saturday that the unfortunate incident took place at the Kunj Alizai Mountains, situated near the Pak-Afghan border leading to fresh clashes that resulted in the killing of more than 15 people from both sides.
