Islamabad, Feb 19: Four paramilitary personnel were killed and five others injured when unknown militants attacked their squad in Pakistan’s violence-hit Kurram, where an aid convoy was also targeted.According to security officials, the militants ambushed the paramilitary Kurram Militia squad in Lower Kurram’s Ochit area late on Monday, where an aid convoy carrying essential supplies was ambushed earlier in the day.
The injured and dead were shifted to a hospital, where the condition of one injured was stated to be critical. The military, which typically issues statements in such situations, has yet to comment.
The attack on the aid convoy in sectarian violence-hit Kurram district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province killed a truck driver and injured 15 others. Late last night, another injured succumbed to injuries, taking the toll to two, according to officials.
The convoy, which was travelling from Thall to Kurram, was attacked at multiple locations along the route, prompting officials to turn the convoy of 64 vehicles back to Hangu as a precautionary measure.
It is the latest in a series of violent incidents in Kurram, which has been a hotbed of violence for decades, with deep-seated tribal and sectarian conflicts often resulting in bloodshed and prolonged blockades.
The latest wave of violence erupted in November 2023, when two police-escorted convoys were ambushed, killing at least 40 people. Since then, over 150 people have lost their lives in recurring clashes.
A ceasefire deal was reached between the warring Sunni and Shia tribes on January 4 after sectarian clashes resulted in the killing of 133 people in the district between November 21 and December 2.