PARACHINAR: Six members of a family, including three women, were killed and one was injured in a landmine explosion near the Afghan border in Kurram Agency on Tuesday.

The family was going from Muqbal to Boshara village near Parachinar to participate in the funeral of a relative when their vehicle hit the landmine.

Local people said that the vehicle was passing through a rainwater course when the explosive device went off.

A resident, Shahid Rehman, said that all the six people died on the spot. The injured was taken to the agency headquarters hospital in Parachinar, the main town in Kurram.

Incident occurred near Afghan border

A doctor at the hospital told reporters that the condition of the wounded man, identified as Said Jan, was out of danger. He was admitted in the hospital for treatment.

The three deceased men were identified as Amin Badshah, Badshah Khan and Rawees Khan.

Kurram is predominantly a Shia majority region that is often targeted by groups such as Al Qaeda, the militant Islamic State and other local sectarian outfits.

There were, however, conflicting reports about the victims of Tuesday’s attack.

AFP news agency quoting a senior local government official, Basir Khan Wazir, said that the victims were Shia.

But Reuters quoted a local government official, Akbar Iftikhar, saying that the six victims belonged to a Sunni family.

AFP also claimed that eight people were killed in the incident, among them one was a seven-year-old boy.

Reuters quoted government official Iftikhar as saying that it was unclear whether the blast was a landmine or a roadside bomb planted by militants.

Kurram is one of the seven districts along the Afghan border in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

After the incident, local people blocked the road between Parachinar and Kharlachi in protest against the killings.

Political Agent Basser Khan Wazir, along with some senior military officers, rushed to the area and assured the protesters that the administration would take measures to improve security in the area. He said several measures were being taken, including fencing of the border, to stop the entry of militants.

MNA Sajid Hussain Turi condemned the incident and demanded that the government arrest the elements involved in it.

He said tribes in collaboration with the administration would not allow any person to disturb peace in Kurram Agency.

Published in Dawn, January 31st, 2018