Gunmen ambushed passenger vehicles in the Kurram tribal district of northwestern Pakistan on Thursday, killing at least 38 people and injuring 29, according to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province’s chief secretary, Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry. Victims included a woman and a child, with officials warning that the death toll may rise further.
The tragic attack occurred as two convoys of passenger vehicles traveled between Peshawar and Parachinar. Local resident Ziarat Hussain, who lost relatives in the incident, described how the vehicles were targeted by armed men.
Kurram district, which borders Afghanistan, has long been a flashpoint for sectarian tensions between Shia and Sunni Muslim communities, exacerbated by land disputes. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
President Asif Ali Zardari issued a statement strongly condemning the violence, calling it a significant tragedy. Authorities are continuing investigations into the incident, which has further inflamed the already fragile situation in the region.