In a brazen assault, unidentified gunmen opened fire on a passenger vehicle in Lower Kurram, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on Wednesday, killing at least six people. The attack targeted the vehicle as it was traveling from Para Chamkani to Sadda in the Ahmad Khan Kale area. According to local police, the motive behind the shooting remains unclear, and a heavy police contingent has been dispatched to the scene to initiate an investigation. The bodies of the victims were transferred to the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital in Sadda for medico-legal formalities.
The incident has drawn strong condemnation from local political and tribal leaders. Member of the National Assembly (MNA) Hameed Hussain strongly denounced the attack, expressing shock that such violence could occur in what he described as a peaceful area. He alleged that the assault appeared to be part of an organized conspiracy aimed at destabilizing the region and urged the local community to unite against such attempts and support peace efforts.
Separately, leaders of the Turi Bangash tribes also issued statements condemning the killings. They called upon the government to conduct a thorough and swift investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice. This collective outcry underscores the deep concern over a sudden breach of peace in the region.
This attack casts a shadow over recent peace initiatives in Kurram, a district long plagued by tribal violence rooted in decades-old land disputes. The conflict had claimed at least 130 lives last year alone. The signing of a ceasefire in January and a year-long peace deal between the Lower Kurram and Sadda tribes in July had offered hope for stability, making this latest attack a significant and troubling setback.
