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Convoy in Pakistan ambushed by gunmen

At least eight people have been killed and 15 kidnapped as gunmen attacked vehicles travelling through a volatile district of north-west Pakistan, officials say.

The ambush is said to have occurred in the Bagan area of the Kurram tribal agency. About five others were injured.

It is unclear how many vehicles were attacked by the gunmen. Reports say those targeted were Shia Muslims.

There have been a number of sectarian attacks in the area in recent years.

But the area in question has seen a recent peace deal between rival Shia and Sunni Muslim tribes, correspondents say.

The attack is said to have occurred on the main road that runs through the Kurram tribal agency connecting the regional capital with the city of Peshawar.

Violence had kept the road closed until the peace deal earlier this year, the Associated Press news agency reports.

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http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_PAKISTAN?SITE=MOJOP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Eight killed in Kurram attack

Eight killed in Kurram attack

By AFP / Express

Published: March 25, 2011

Security forces kill seven militants in Lower Orakzai. PHOTO: FILE/APP

Eight people were killed and five wounded Friday when gunmen opened fire on two vehicles carrying Shiite Muslims in Pakistan's lawless tribal region in suspected sectarian violence, officials said.

The vehicles were ambushed in Bagan town of Kurram district, near the Afghan border, and the victims "were all Shiite Muslims", a security official said.

The area has a history of sectarian clashes between Pakistan's majority Sunni Muslims and minority Shiites.

Local administration official Fazal Hussain told AFP the Shiites in a three-vehicle caravan were heading from the northwestern city of Parachinar to Peshawar, the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.

"The attackers came in two vehicles. They opened fire and fled, leaving eight people dead, including a woman and a child," he said.

Security forces kill 7 in Lower Orakzai

Security forces on Friday targeted militant hideouts and killed seven suspected terrorists in Upper Orakzai Agency.

The forces attacked militant hideouts in Shakartangi, Ghaljo and Mamezai areas of the agency, destroying two of them.

In continuing operations to restore law and order in the region, security forces also arrested several militants.

Militants blow up girls' schools

Unidentified militants blew up two girls' primary schools in Khyber Agency on the same day.

The militants targeted Hukum Khan Girls' School and Azam Khel Primary School with explosives in the Landi Kotal area.

The school buildings were completely destroyed however no casualties were reported in the incidents.

Militants have often targeted schools in the region, 16 of which have been in Landi Kotal alone. A total of 45 schools have been destroyed in Khyber Agency.

Militants arrested in Lower Dir

Security forces rounded up 140 suspects during a search operation in various areas of Lower Dir.

DPO Lower Dir Saleem Marwat said that a mobile van of the security forces was targeted by the unidentified attackers during the operation.

In a remote control blast, two security personnel were killed and two others were injured.

A First Investigation Report (FIR) was registered against the attackers at the Munda Police Station.

source: http://tribune.com.pk/story/137522/security-forces-kill-7-in-lower-orakzai/

Eight killed in suspected sectarian shooting in Kurram

Eight killed in suspected sectarian shooting in Kurram
AFP

The area has a history of sectarian clashes between Pakistan's majority Sunni Muslims and minority Shias. — Photo by AFP

PESHAWAR: Eight people were killed and five wounded Friday when gunmen opened fire on two vehicles carrying Shia Muslims in Pakistan's Kurram tribal region in suspected sectarian violence, officials said.

The vehicles were ambushed in the Bagan town of Kurram district, near the Afghan border, and the victims "were all Shia Muslims", a security official said.

The area has a history of sectarian clashes between Pakistan's majority Sunni Muslims and minority Shias.

Local administration official Fazal Hussain told AFP the Shias in a three-vehicle caravan were heading from the northwestern city of Parachinar to Peshawar, the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.

"The attackers came in two vehicles. They opened fire and fled, leaving eight people dead, including a woman and a child," he said.

SOURCE: http://www.dawn.com/2011/03/25/eight-killed-in-suspected-sectarian-shooting-in-kurram.html

Gunmen kill 8 in attack on minibus in Pakistan

Gunmen kill 8 in attack on minibus in Pakistan

By HUSSAIN AFZAL
Associated Press

Mar 25, 2011

PARACHINAR, Pakistan (AP) -- Gunmen attacked a minibus carrying mostly Shiite Muslims and killed eight people on Friday in a stretch of northwestern Pakistan that has seen a recent peace deal between rival Sunni and Shiite tribes, a government official said.

The gunmen who carried out the ambush in the Bagan area of the Kurram tribal region also kidnapped 18 people from the bus, said Javid Khan, a local administrator. The attack was the latest blow to the peace deal, which was meant to end a four-year conflict that cost hundreds of lives, but has failed to extinguish violence in the area.

The bus was attacked as it was traveling on the main road that runs through Kurram that connects the main town in the region, Parachinar, with Peshawar, the capital of nearby Khyber Pakhtunwkha province, said Khan.

Violence had kept the road closed until the peace deal was struck in February.

Five people were wounded in the attack, said Khan. The bus was mostly carrying people from the Toori tribe, one of the main Shiite tribes that struck the peace deal, he said.

A similar attack killed nine people in mid-March who were traveling on the road from Parachinar, a Shiite-dominated town.

It is unclear how the Shiite tribes will respond following Friday's incident and whether the peace deal will be scrapped.

Tribesmen in Kurram have reported that the Haqqani network - a fiercely independent branch of the Afghan Taliban and a major enemy of U.S. and NATO forces - had helped cut the deal with the Shiites so it could use Kurram as a staging ground for fighting in Afghanistan.

The Taliban, who adhere to a hard-line interpretation of Sunni Islam, have at times exploited sectarian and tribal feuds to spread their influence along the Pakistan-Afghan border.

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http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=37814&Cat=2&dt=3/24/2011

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Action urged against Kurram peace deal violators

Thursday, March 24, 2011

PARACHINAR: Local leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) on Wednesday urged the governor to take action against the militants violating the Kurram peace agreement.

Speaking at a press conference, Senior Vice-President of PML-Q Youth Wing (Fata) Ashtar Ali Turi, Israr Hussain and others said the militants were trying to sabotage the nascent peace accord by attacking passenger vehicles on the Thall-Parachinar Road and other routes in Kurram tribal region.

"The attacks on passenger vehicles are highly deplorable. It speaks volumes about the failure of the government to implement the peace deal," Ashtar Ali Turi said, adding that the militants were bent upon vitiating peace in Kurram. He said the tribesmen welcomed the peace deal as it had put an end to their miseries. "We had assured the government and grand tribal jirga of our cooperation in the implementation of the peace accord but the militants started targeting Turi tribesmen to sabotage it," he added.

He said eleven persons were killed and scores of others injured in attacks on passenger coaches in Doaba town and Thall tehsil in Hangu district. "Several tribesmen have been kidnapped. Those involved in the attacks and kidnapping incidents have been identified but the authorities are unwilling to take them to task," Ashtar Ali Turi claimed. He said the peace accord would receive a serious setback if the government failed to take stern action against those flouting the agreement.

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http://www.dawn.com/2011/03/23/militants-release-20-kurram-tribesmen-four-still-missing.html

Militants release 20 Kurram tribesmen; four still missing

DAWN.COM

Efforts made by the tribal elders forced militants to free the abducted men.—AP/File photo

PESHAWAR: Militants on Wednesday released 20 people who were kidnapped from Lower Kurram, DawnNews reported.

Militants had kidnapped 24 tribesmen along with their 15 vehicles from the Baggan, Parao and Talokunj areas of Lower Kurram Agency and shifted them to their hideout in the central Kurram on Tuesday.

Efforts made by the tribal elders forced militants to free the abducted men, however, four of them were still missing, said sources.

The political administration has taken notice of the incident and started investigation

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Wednesday, March 23, 2011

24 tribesmen kidnapped in Kurram Agency

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

PARACHINAR: The militants kidnapped 24 persons from lower Kurram Agency on Tuesday, tribal sources said.

The sources said that the militants intercepted a vehicle coming towards Peshawar at Pararo area and whisked away its four occupants including the driver. The kidnapped persons included a student Alamdar Hussain son of Ali Hussain, the sources said.

In another incident, the militants picked up 20 persons from the weekly cattle fair in Talo Ganj in Bagan area. Those kidnapped belonged to the Kochi and Ghalji tribes, the residents said. Local residents expressed concern over the increasing activities of the militants in Kurram Agency.

They said the subversive activities of the militants would sabotage the nascent peace agreement. A peace agreement was reached between the elders of the Sunni and Shia sects on February 3 and the Thall-Parachinar Road was reopened after more than three years of closure.

The agreement was based on the previous Murree peace accord between elders of the two sects.

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http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=37701&Cat=7&dt=3/23/2011

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http://www.dawn.com/2011/03/22/militant-attacks-kurram-festival-24-kidnapped.html

Militants attack Kurram festival; 24 kidnapped

DAWN.COM

the rebels belonged to the Sattar group from Waziristan.—AP photo

PESHAWAR: Militants kidnapped 24 tribesmen along with their 15 vehicles from the Baggan area of Lower Kurram Agency and shifted them to their hideout in the central Kurram on Tuesday, DawnNews reported.

A weekly festival was going on in Baggan when rebels attacked the festival and abducted 20 people along with their 14 vehicles.

Sources claimed that the rebels belonged to the Sattar group from Waziristan.

Later, in the same area four more people were picked up by militants along with a vehicle.

Tribesmen termed the recent incidents of terrorism tragic and demanded the government to take notice of the violation of a peace agreement in the region.

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http://www.dawn.com/2011/03/22/nauroze-celebrated-in-kurram.html

Nauroze celebrated in Kurram

Nauroze celebrated in Kurram

PARACHINAR, March 21: Irrespective of their financial position, most of the residents of Kurram Agency prepared seven types of cuisines on Monday to celebrate Nauroze.

Attired in newly tailored clothes, children as well as grown up people were seen visiting the houses of their relatives to wish them happy Nauroze, the first day of Iranian calendar and beginning of spring season.

The tribesmen visited a local shrine and hoisted flag on the tomb to begin celebration of Jashn-i-Nauroze.

They also offered special prayers for lasting peace and tranquility in Kurram Agency. The local elders also wished happy New Year to each other and prayed for eternal peace in the country.

The locals visited houses of their relatives and enjoyed tasteful foods as seven types of cuisines are prepared for the visitors on the occasion of Jashn-i-Nauroze.

The children took part in all festivities with more enthusiasm as compared to grown up because they had a field day to play, walk and enjoy different kinds of foods.

Different kinds of sweets, a hallmark of Nauroze, were presented to visiting relatives and friends. People were seen embracing each other and exchanging pleasantries.

Meanwhile, Jashn-i-Nauroze, often referred to as Persian New Year, was also celebrated in Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The families of Afghan refugees were seen visiting Bagh Naran and other parks to celebrate Nauroze. Many of them said that they were in the habit of celebrating Jashn-i-Nauroze even during their hard times.

They converge in different public parks to celebrate Jashn-i-Nauroze every year and this year was no exception as hundreds of Afghan children and grown up men and women gathered to celebrate the occasion.

Afghans said that they also received guests from their native Afghanistan on Nauroze while some families visited Afghanistan to join their relative on the happy occasion

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