Six people were gunned down on Wednesday morning when unidentified assailants ambushed a passenger vehicle travelling from Sadda to Wacha Dara in Kurram district, in what officials described as the latest flare-up of a bitter land dispute that has haunted the area for years.
The attack occurred near a bridge between Pozi Klay and Gosar, where gunmen opened indiscriminate fire on the moving vehicle, killing six passengers on the spot. Their bodies were later shifted to the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital in Sadda. Following the shooting, the Thall-Parachinar Road a key artery linking parts of Kurram was closed to all traffic as security forces launched a cordon and search operation.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the ambush stemmed from a long-standing feud between two local residents, Taj Mir and Amal Din. The men had clashed previously over land disputes, with each side losing a family member in targeted attacks in 2024. Wednesday’s bloodshed, officials said, was aimed at individuals linked to Amal Din, suggesting the feud has once again spilled into public violence.
The Kurram district, straddling tribal and sectarian fault lines, has a long history of such vendettas evolving into broader communal clashes. While initially rooted in personal and land disputes, many of these conflicts have in the past acquired sectarian overtones, leading to cycles of revenge that have cost hundreds of lives and displaced entire communities.
Earlier this year, the Kohat Agreement brokered by tribal elders and the administration had raised hopes for lasting peace. Under the accord, rival parties pledged to lay down arms and resolve disputes through dialogue, a move that briefly calmed tensions in the volatile region. However, Wednesday’s killings have once again cast doubt over the durability of that fragile truce.
Additional police units and levies were rushed to the area in the aftermath of the attack. Officials confirmed that investigations are underway and efforts are being made to apprehend those responsible.
The fresh outbreak of violence has heightened fears among residents that unresolved feuds could drag Kurram back into instability, undermining hard-won gains in restoring peace.
