At least one dead, over dozen wounded as Kurram-bound aid convoy comes under attack

• Convoy, consisting of 64 vehicles, was en route to Kurram district.
• Security measures intensified in area to prevent further violence.
• Kurram traders demand compensation for losses inflicted on them.
  

PARACHINAR: An aid convoy en route from Thall to Kurram was attacked near Lower Kurram's Ochit area on Monday, leaving at least one truck driver dead and 15 others wounded, police said. 

Injured included four truck drivers and a policeman, they added.

The convoy, consisting of 64 vehicles, was en route to Kurram district when unidentified assailants opened fire. Following the attack, officials decided to turn the convoy back to Hangu as a precautionary measure.

One of the injured truck drivers succumbed to his wounds, as the convoy came under attack at multiple locations, including Bagan, Ochit, Mandori, Dad Kamar, and Char Khel, the police said, adding that security in the area had been ramped up.

Kurram to be purged of militants

A provincial spokesperson said later in the day that the KP government had decided to take decisive action against armed groups in Kurram, directing law enforcers to launch a sweeping crackdown.

Expressing serious concern over the ongoing shootings and looting, the spokesperson stated that the police would take the lead in eliminating the militant elements targeting aid convoys.

Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur was briefed on the incident by senior officials, including the chief secretary, inspector general of police, and additional chief secretary for home affairs, according to the provincial government mouthpiece.

The meeting also ordered purging the flashpoints like Ochit, Mandori, and other such areas of militants, with authorities strictly directed to evacuate residents from high-risk zones to ensure effective operations.

The spokesperson said that the authorities had also been told to immediate arrest those named in the cases, and regretted that the peace committees had failed to prevent miscreants from perpetrating such attacks.

Pledging to counter any negative propaganda surrounding the Kurram unrest, the provincial government urged elders and locals to turn in the culprits so that they could be taken to the task. The government also warned indiscriminate action against militants and their abettors and facilitators. 

Saif says sabotage of peace unacceptable

Reacting to the incident, Adviser to the KP Chief Minister on Information, Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, in a statement, said the provincial cabinet strongly condemned the attack while stressing the government's commitment to restoring peace in the region.

“The KP chief minister has directed the authorities to take strict action against the miscreants responsible for disturbing the peace,” Barrister Saif said, adding that during the cabinet meeting, the overall security situation in Kurram was thoroughly reviewed.

Vowing that the provincial government would not let anyone sabotage the unstable ceasefire, the adviser asserted that certain elements were trying to destabilise the region.

“Through a grand jirga, agreements have been reached between the conflicting parties, and efforts to rebuild trust are ongoing,” Barrister Saif said, adding, “As part of the government's strategy to restore peace, the process of demolishing illegal bunkers in the area is proceeding swiftly.”

The adviser stressed that these actions were critical for the long-term stability of the region and the safety of its people.

The latest incident of violence disrupted relief efforts amid a fragile peace in the crisis-hit region. The government has been dispatching convoys carrying food and essential supplies to ensure the availability of necessary goods in the region, which has been reeling from a prolonged wave of tribal violence.

Kurram has been wracked by violence for decades, but over 150 people have been killed in a fresh round of fighting which started in November last year when two separate convoys travelling under police escort were ambushed, leaving 40 people dead.

Prolonged road closures and the complete suspension of movement to and from Kurram due to the unrest had cut the district off from the outside world, leading to a severe shortage of food and medicine, which reportedly resulted in additional deaths.

The conflicting parties finally agreed to a ceasefire under a government and military-brokered peace pact, which mandates the surrender of all weapons and the removal of bunkers in accordance with the KP apex committee’s orders.

However, despite the peace agreement, there have been repeated attacks on convoys and vehicles, including a targeted attack on Deputy Commissioner Javedullah Mehsud and Assistant Commissioner Saeed Manan Boshehra. 

Last month, terrorists ambushed a convoy of 35 vehicles set to resupply local traders in the restive territory with rice, flour, cooking oil and essential medicine, which claimed the lives of at least 8 people, including security personnel, drivers and civilians. Retaliatory action by security forces resulted in the killing of six assailants. 

KP govt to establish 120 posts to ensure security

A provincial cabinet meeting, chaired by KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, was informed that 120 security posts will be established on the Kurram Road. The security posts will be provided with equipment worth Rs764 million. 

The meeting, held to review the implementation of government decisions for lasting peace in Kurram, approved the recruitment of 407 personnel for security posts.

The officials informed the cabinet that 189 people have lost their lives due to violence in Kurram since October. To restore normalcy, efforts were underway to implement the terms of the peace agreement. 

The cabinet was informed that nine convoys, comprising 718 vehicles, had so far been sent to ensure the availability of essential supplies. 

Additionally, under the Chief Minister’s directive, the provincial government launched a helicopter service for Kurram, conducting 153 flights and providing air transport to 4,000 people. So far, 19,000 kilograms of medicines have also been delivered.

As part of security measures, the dismantling of bunkers in Kurram is in progress. A total of 151 bunkers have been removed, with a deadline set for March to complete the operation.

The cabinet was also briefed on the restoration of the damaged Bagan Bazaar, with an estimated cost of 480 million rupees allocated for its reconstruction.

Separately, KP Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah assured that all provisions of the Kurram peace accord will be fully implemented. 

Speaking to Geo News, he emphasised that maintaining peace in Kurram remains the government’s top priority.

He stated that a comprehensive plan is being worked on to establish lasting peace in the region. He also warned that those disturbing peace, along with their supporters, will be brought to justice.

Shah highlighted that peace in Kurram was in the interest of all communities and that miscreants seek to increase public suffering. He urged the tribal people not to allow terrorists to use their land and called on them to support law enforcement agencies in ensuring security.

Traders demand compensation for losses

For the past four and a half months, over 100 villages in Parachinar, Boshehra, upper and lower parts of Kurram had been under siege, leaving residents without access to food and medical care. 

Residents in Parachinar have expressed concerns over the severe shortage of fuel, gas, and medicine despite efforts to restore peace. 

The shopkeepers and traders earlier staged a protest sit-in to demand compensation for the losses inflicted on them during crises and violence in the Bagan area in lower Kurram, The News reported. 

The protesters warned that if compensation was not provided to the affected shopkeepers, they would block the Tall-Parachinar road for vehicular traffic.

Meanwhile, due to road closures in Kurram district, petrol was being sold in the black market for Rs1,200 to 1,500 per litre, forcing residents to travel on foot.