KURRAM: A local jirga successfully mediated a ceasefire on Sunday between two warring religious factions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Kurram district following a week of intense clashes.

The violence, which erupted on Tuesday over a contentious video that went viral on social media, has led to several deaths, including two on Sunday, and many injuries over the past six days.

While there is no official death toll, sources said the clashes had claimed 20 lives while 40 people had been injured.

However, a senior government official gave a more conservative figure, asserting that nine people had been killed in the clashes since Tuesday.

Haji Noor Muhammad, a member of the grand jirga, told reporters that elders from both groups held successful talks with jirga members. “Both parties have unanimously agreed to a ceasefire,” he said.

After the agreement, Kurram Deputy Commissioner Syed Saiful Islam said that security and police officials, accompanied by jirga members, were mobilising to clear bunkers occupied by the armed members of the two groups to restore peace in the area.

The conflict has severely disrupted daily life in areas like Teri Mengal, Kanj Alizai, Sadda Balishkhel, Boshrah and Pewar. Communications were cut off after cellular networks went down, and traffic was suspended due to targeted attacks on passenger vehicles, officials said.

As a result, residents were confined to their homes and the markets remained closed, leading to a shortage of essential commodities.

Published in Dawn, October 30th, 2023