Kurram clashes: How a Pakistani land dispute led to a deadly tribal battle
Al Jazeera
At least 46 people were killed and 200 injured in clashes until a ceasefire was agreed upon on Wednesday.
Islamabad, Pakistan – After weeklong clashes between rival tribes in Pakistan’s district of Kurram, killing at least 46 people and injuring nearly 200, fighting has now halted, following a meeting between authorities and tribal elders.
A grand jirga, or a gathering of tribal elders, along with civilian and security officials, met in Parachinar, the main city in Kurram district. They held an hours-long meeting on Wednesday, after which a ceasefire was agreed upon by all stakeholders – until October 5.
Javedullah Mehsud, the deputy commissioner of Kurram, said there had been no casualties since then and that the government was confident of reaching a resolution to end the conflict.
“This is unfortunately an ongoing land dispute in the area that has led to fighting in the past as well, but we are confident that we can put an end to it this time,” Mehsud told Al Jazeera.
So where is Kurram, what happened there, how did things escalate and what’s next?