Three days of sectarian clashes leave 82 dead in Pakistan

Three days of bitter sectarian gunfights in north-western Pakistan have killed at least 82 people and wounded 156 more, a local official said on Nov 24.

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"The clashes and convoy attacks on Nov 21, 22 and 23 have resulted in 82 fatalities and 156 injuries," said the local administration official in the Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"Among the deceased, 16 were Sunni, while 66 belonged to the Shia community."

Pakistan is a Sunni-majority country but Kurram district - near the border with Afghanistan - has a large Shi'ite population and the communities have clashed for decades.

The latest bout of violence began on Nov 21 when two separate convoys of Shi'ite Muslims travelling under police escort were ambushed, killing at least 43 and sparking two days of gun battles.

"Our priority today is to broker a ceasefire between both sides. Once that is achieved, we can begin addressing the underlying issues," provincial Law Minister Aftab Alam Afridi said on Nov 24.

Shi'ite Muslims also attacked several Sunni locations on the evening of Nov 22 in Kurram, once a semi-autonomous region, where sectarian violence has resulted in hundreds of deaths over the years.