At least 50 killed in gunmen attack on passenger vehicles in Pakistan

Gunmen opened fire on two passenger convoys in the Kurram tribal district of northwestern Pakistan on Thursday, resulting in at least 50 deaths and leaving 20 others injured, according to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry. The attack, which took place in a region that has long been plagued by sectarian tensions, targeted vehicles traveling between Peshawar and Parachinar.

Among the victims were a woman and a child, with Chaudhry describing the incident as a "major tragedy" and warning that the death toll is likely to rise.

The two convoys, one traveling from Peshawar to Parachinar and the other in the opposite direction, were ambushed by armed gunmen. Local resident Ziarat Hussain, whose relatives were among those in the convoy, told Reuters that the attackers opened fire on the vehicles without warning.


"There were two convoys of passenger vehicles, one carrying passengers from Peshawar to Parachinar and another from Parachinar to Peshawar, when armed men opened fire on them," he said.

The Kurram district has seen ongoing sectarian violence, particularly between armed Shia and Sunni Muslims, fueled by longstanding land disputes and its proximity to the Afghanistan border. As of now, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

In response to the tragedy, Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the attack, calling it an act of terror against innocent civilians. Authorities are investigating the incident, but the region's security remains fragile amid ongoing sectarian strife.

(With agency inputs)