=> SADDA/PARACHINAR: Thirty-two more people, includin
SADDA/PARACHINAR: Thirty-two more people, including five children, a woman and two Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel, were killed and scores of others injured on Wednesday in continued sectarian violence in Kurram Agency on the fourth consecutive day.
The death toll from the four days of clashes in the agency has risen to 47 while more than 100 people have been injured. Authorities in agency hospitals of Sadda and Parachinar confirmed receiving 80 people with firearm injuries.
Heavy weapons including mortar and rocket shells are being used by both the warring groups. One of the shells that landed at a residential area in Sadda bazaar killed five children and a woman. Six other children sustained injuries in the incident. The building of a private school – A-one Model Public School – was also damaged in the attack.
A group of armed men attacked Mangak security post manned by FC personnel near Sadda killing two of its occupants identified as Taza Gul and Niaz. A rocket attack killed two people at Balishkhel Imambargah and injured seven others.
Similarly, three tribesmen were killed during exchange of fire by the warring groups in the suburbs of the city and two in Ahmadi Shuma area of Lower Kurram. Details of those killed elsewhere in Wednesday’s clashes across the restive tribal agency could not be obtained immediately.
A group of the reconciliatory Jirga led by Allama Sheikh Nawaz Irfan, Khateeb of the Jamia Masjid Parachinar, was also fired at in Balishkhel area. The group travelling in a convoy of vehicles was making appeals for peace through loudspeakers. The Jirga members were unhurt in the ambush.
Meanwhile, local tribal elders have started peace efforts in view of the lacklustre response of the 16-member peace Jirga of Hangu and Aurakzai tribal elders, constituted by the NWFP governor.
The peace jirga had announced ceasefire on the eve of Eid in Parachinar and had fixed Rs 15 million as penalty for violation of the same. But, ironically it was this very Jirga which could not make it to their destination on the same day and were stopped from passing through the Lower Kurram.
Online adds: Two persons were killed when a missile landed at Sakhi Ahmed Shah in Lower Kurram Wednesday. According to eyewitnesses, most of the people living in Lower Kurram have shifted to government and private schools to save their lives.
Official sources said the rival groups attacked each other’s positions in Balishkhel, Sadda, Sangina, Khar Kali, Ali Zaik, Bagan and Upper Kurram. Curfew has been clamped in Parachinar for the last five days without any break thus causing severe shortage of edibles and medicines.
More than 150 people have lost their lives in a series of clashes in the agency recently while some 400 people sustained injuries. All roads, educational institutions, government and semi-government offices have been closed for the last one-and-a-half months while many areas are without electricity.
APP adds: The correspondent of this agency made several efforts to contact Political Agent Kurram Zaheerul Islam and Assistant Political Agent Lower Kurram Mujeebur Rehman for comment but to no avail.
Meanwhile in Peshawar, tribesmen belonging to Turi and Mengal tribes have started meetings to make joint efforts for defusing the tension in the agency. The government officers and traders of Turi and Mengal tribes working in the provincial capital have decided to jointly work against the elements disturbing law and order in the agency.
Source: The News
Date:12/27/2007
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