Pakistani police reported that at least 33 people were killed and more than 40 others were injured in clashes between sectarian armed groups in the Kurram region, northwest of the country, on Saturday.

Pakistan is facing a surge in attacks by separatist insurgents and ethnically motivated sectarian groups in the south, and militants in the northwest of the country.

The armed clashes, which broke out on Friday evening, were the latest acts of violence to rock the Kurram region in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and came days after 42 people were killed in an armed ambush, according to what was reported by the Associated Press.

A police officer said that gunmen in Bagan and Basha Kot burned shops, homes and government property, adding that the shooting was intense and continuous between the Alizai and Bagan tribes in the lower Kurram region.

Although the two groups generally live together peacefully, tensions remain, especially in Kurram.

Police and officials reported that at least 24 people were killed and more than 40 others were injured in a “suicide bombing” at a railway station in Balochistan, southwestern Pakistan, on Saturday.

The officer said: “Educational institutions in Kurram have been closed due to high tension. Both sides are targeting each other with heavy and automatic weapons.”

Videos shared with The Associated Press showed a market engulfed in flames and orange flames that pierced the night sky.

Armed ambush

Survivors of an armed ambush said that the attackers got out of a car and showered buses and cars with bullets. No party claimed responsibility for the attack, and the police did not determine the motive behind it.

Dozens of members of the two opposing communities have been killed in the region since last July, when a land dispute broke out in Kurram, which later turned into general sectarian violence.

According to a report issued by the Center for Security Research and Studies, the third quarter of 2024 witnessed a 90% increase in deaths related to armed violence and counter-terrorism operations in the country.

The report recorded 722 deaths and 615 injuries in 328 incidents, with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan responsible for 97% of the deaths.

In light of the continuing rise in armed clashes, the Chief of Army Staff, General Asim Munir, affirmed the army’s determination to eliminate armed violence, which undermines national security, according to the Pakistani Geo News TV network.

The Army Chief of Staff stressed that “thwarting the evil plans of hostile elements remains a top priority,” the Inter-Services Public Relations Department said on Friday.

The Chief of Army Staff also stressed that through synchronized and robust operations, the Pakistani Army in cooperation with law enforcement agencies “will relentlessly pursue enemies of peace to ensure lasting stability and security.”