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2007 Kurram Agency conflict

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2007 Kurram Agency conflict
Part of the War in North-West Pakistan and
Sectarian violence in Pakistan
Date6 April – 13 April 2007
(1 week)
Location
Kurram Agency, Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Pakistan
Result
  • Shia Millitias Victory
  • Clashes extinguish by 13 April 2007, however Shia militias claimed victory and asked the Pakistan Army to overtake captured areas from the terrorists.[2]
  • The army regains lands, Shia militias declare victory.[3]
  • Pakistani Taliban and their allies experience heavy losses.[2]
  • Sporadic fighting continues between Shia-Sunni militia's.[8]
Belligerents

Pakistan Government of Pakistan

Local law enforcement

Local Sunni fighters

/ Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan
Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan
Lashkar-e-Jhangvi

Local Shia fighters

Liwa Zainebiyoun
Tehreek-e-Jafaria Pakistan
Sipah-e-Muhammad Pakistan
Other local Shia militas[1]

The 2007 Kurram Agency conflict began on 6 April 2007 in Kurram Agency, Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Pakistan when a group of Sunni gunmen opened fire on a Friday prayer held by Shia muslims in Parachinar. It left more than 40 people dead and more than 150 people wounded by gunfire. Tensions grew in the area adjacent to the Afghan border since 1 April as Pakistani Taliban ally and anti-Shia sectarian group Ahl-e-Sunnat Wal Jamaat took part in Mawlid (prophet Muhammad's birthday) on 1 April, in which the group raised slogans against Shia Muslims and made derogatory remarks towards historical Shia figures which erupt a sectarian controversy among the muslims in the kurram.[9][10] On 6 April, a sectarian conflict intensely raised in Kurram Agency when a group of sectarian Sunni gunmen opened fire on the unarmed Shia muslims at the time of friday prayer, which triggered a heavy armed violence and bloodshed between the Shia-Sunni militia's that continues to date, Sectarian violence in Pakistan has been serious issue from then onwards.[11][12]

Kurram Agency has become increasingly victimized by sectarian violence as tensions grew between the Shiites and Sunnis of the agency since the Soviet–Afghan War. During the war, Kurram was the safe passage for the both Shia Sunni Mujahideen to carried out cross border attacks on Soviet Forces in Afghanistan but in the end of war Sunni Mujahideen attacked the Shia villages and in response Shia Mujahideen launched retaliatory attacks on Sunni village's and fighting continues to date.[13][14][15][16][17][18][19]

Timeline

[edit]

April conflict

[edit]

April 6

[edit]

During a Sunni procession celebrating the birth of the Prophet Muhammad in Parachinar on 1 April, a few men made derogatory remarks towards historical Shia figures.[20][21][22] In response, Shias in Parachinar held a protest on 6 April where they responded with counter-slogans against Sectarian Sunnis.[21] During the procession, an unidentified gunman opened fire on the crowd.[9] Riots then consumed the city, with raiding and looting of local Sunni storefronts being reported.[9] FATA authorities imposed a curfew across Kurram agency and sent soldiers into Parachinar after at least three people were reported to killed and 18 injured by the end of the day.[23][22]

April 7

[edit]

Early in the day, Bell AH-1 Cobra helicopters attacked the positions of sectarian fighters in Parachinar before army and paramilitary forces in armoured personnel carriers secured the city.[24][25] The sectarian groups were reportedly using heavy weaponry such as mortars and rocket-propelled grenades.[26] A rocket attack on a home in Parachinar killed 14 people, including two women and four children.[9][27] The government announced that anyone seen violating the curfew would be shot at by authorities.[9] According to a FATA official, 40 people had been killed and 70 were wounded during the two day of fighting.[28]

April 8

[edit]

Violence between sectarian fighters cooled down in Parachinar but intensified across Upper and Lower Kurram as tribal elders attempted to resolve the situation.[26][29] Clashes in Piwar and Kirman left four and three people dead in the villages respectively, while mortar fire on a house in Alam Sher killed one person.[30] Fighting in Sadda killed six people and led to electricity being disabled in the town.[30] Additional clashes were reported in Teri Mangal, Balish Khel, Bashra, Mali Khel, Kadman and Para Chamkani among other areas.[29] PTI chairman Imran Khan suggested that the conflict could be manufactured by the United States in order to harm Pakistan's relations with Iran.[31]

April 9

[edit]

The government issued an ultimatum to cease all hostilities by 10 April or else an army offensive would be launched against the tribal fighters.[32] Mortar fire hit a government building in Alizai, killing a security officer and injuring multiple others.[33][34] A mortar shell struck a house in Sadda, killing two children and injuring four.[35] Twelve people from Sadda were brought to a hospital in Peshawar, two of them dying in treatment.[35]

April 10

[edit]

Clashes between fighters in Sadda and Balash Khel killed around 20 people according to locals.[36] Electricity in Kurram was completely cut following an attack on the main transmission line in Alizai.[37] The army fired artillery from their base in Parachinar across various areas in Kurram.[37] Army reinforcements also entered Parachinar and Alizar.[38][32]

April 11

[edit]

Militants allegedly from North Waziristan attacked the villages of Jilamai and Chardewal, killing 15 people altogether. Authorities responding to the villages reportedly opened fire on rioters, killing at least 35.[39] Four people were killed in Shalozan Tangi, while a rocket attack in Shoblan killed a woman and injured two children in a house.[39] A rocket hit a house in Almsher village killing a woman.[39] Army soldiers entered Sadda, leading a gunfight which left four sectarian fighters dead and another four injured.[40][41] After securing the city, local authorities announced the establishment of a ceasefire in the city.[41] A reduction in hostilities around the outskirts of Parachinar was reported.[40]

April 12

[edit]

Five Shia's were reportedly killed by gunmen in Chardewar, with another five suffering injuries.[36][42] Clashes with bandits in Jilamai killed four people.[43] A Peace Jirga delegation of twenty Sunni and twenty Shia scholars and tribal elders arrived at Parachinar after travelling from Hangu the previous day.[40][42] A ceasefire across Kurram agency was later declared.[44]

April 13

[edit]

The curfew in Parachinar was loosened for two hours from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM. The Peace Jirga was in the process of negotiating a settlement and written agreement with the two factions.[45]

August attack

[edit]

On 4 August, a suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a bus station in Parachinar, killing 10 people and injuring 35 others.[46]

November conflict

[edit]

On 16 November, Sectarian clashes again broke out in Kurram Agency, Parachinar after Sipah-e-Muhammad affiliated Shia armed gunmen opened fire inside a Sunni Ahl-e-Sunnat Wal Jamaat linked sectarian Anti-Shia mosque and madrasa in the avenge of 6 April Friday prayer attack, killing at least 10 and more than 20 injured also causing the significant damage to the madrasa.[47][48] The attack triggered a renewed conflict between Sunni and Shia fighters in Kurram, with 30 people being killed and over 100 being injured by the end of 17 November.[47] By 18 November, at least 61 people had been killed, with the government imposing a curfew upon the city once again.[49] On 19 November, Pakistani soldiers with attack helicopter support moved into the city, forcing the sectarian fighters to retreat from their positions to Afghanistan. By the end of the day, the number of casualties from the conflict had risen to at least 80, 11 of them being Pakistani soldiers.[50][51]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Recent news stories on conflict
  2. ^ a b "Death takfiris from Kurram's sectarian past". Daily Times. 2018-07-13. Retrieved 2021-05-25.
  3. ^ "The Pakistani tribe that is taking on the Taliban". BBC. 21 October 2010. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
  4. ^ Ali, Zulfiqar (6 August 2012). "South Waziristan operation: Only Sararogha cleared in three years". Dawn.
  5. ^ "Operation Koh-e-Sufaid: Kayani visits Kurram to mark end of campaign". The Express Tribune. Karachi, Pakistan. 2011-08-18. Retrieved 2018-04-09.
  6. ^ "Dozens killed in sectarian clashes in northwestern Pakistan Takfiri Sunni villages on fire as Shia groups revenge call amid attack on shia pilgrims". 23 November 2024. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
  7. ^ "The Pakistani tribe that is taking on the Pakistani Taliban and ISIS in Northwestern Pakistan". BBC. 21 October 2010. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
  8. ^ Recent news stories on conflict
  9. ^ a b c d e "Deadly clashes rage in Pakistan". BBC News. 2007-04-09. Archived from the original on 2023-08-24. Retrieved 2007-04-09.
  10. ^ "40 killed over 70 injured in Pakistan sectarian clashes". IRNA. 2007-04-07. Archived from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-04-09.
  11. ^ "Two killed in Kurram clashes". The Express Tribune. 2021-10-23. Retrieved 2022-08-21.
  12. ^ "Pakistan clashes: Many dead in Kurram fighting". BBC News. 2012-01-25. Retrieved 2022-08-21.
  13. ^ Siraj Haqqani sheltering in Kurram, near area of US helicopter strikes, www.longwarjournal.org
  14. ^ Pakistan army blockades anti-Taliban tribe in Kurram, BBC
  15. ^ Recent news stories on conflict
  16. ^ Dawn (18 August 2011). "Army ends operation in Central Kurram". Retrieved 9 August 2017.
  17. ^ "Pakistan bomb attacks kill at least 57 and injure many more". The Guardian. 27 July 2013. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
  18. ^ "The Pakistani tribe that is taking on the Taliban". BBC. 21 October 2010. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
  19. ^ Shah, Saeed (24 December 2010). "Al Qaida-allied Afghan fighters seek new Pakistan haven". McClatchy Washington Bureau. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
  20. ^ Perlez, Jane; Shah, Pir Zubair (2008-07-26). "Power Rising, Taliban Besiege Pakistani Shiites". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2023-07-17. Retrieved 2024-11-07.
  21. ^ a b Maher, Mahim (2017-07-07). "How Parachinar got Pakistan to listen". The Friday Times. Archived from the original on 2024-06-12. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
  22. ^ a b "Curfew in Parachinar after three killed". Dawn. 2007-04-07. Archived from the original on 2024-11-08. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
  23. ^ Rasheed, Haroon (2007-04-06). "پارہ چنار:لڑائی پھیل گئی، فوج طلب" [Para Chinar: Fighting spread, army called]. BBC Urdu (in Urdu). Archived from the original on 2024-11-08. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
  24. ^ "پارہ چنار: فرقہ وارانہ تصادم میں 8 ہلاک" [Para Chinar: 8 killed in communal clashes]. BBC Urdu (in Urdu). 2007-04-07. Archived from the original on 2024-11-08. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
  25. ^ "40 dead in Parachinar fighting: official". Dawn. 2007-04-08. Archived from the original on 2021-05-13. Retrieved 2007-04-09.
  26. ^ a b "Death toll hits 15 in Pakistan sectarian clashes". Reuters. 2007-04-08. Archived from the original on 2023-10-03. Retrieved 2007-04-09.
  27. ^ "Sectarian riots erupt in Pakistan". Al Jazeera. 2007-04-07. Archived from the original on 2024-11-08. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
  28. ^ Rasheed, Haroon (2007-04-07). "ہلاکتیں 50 تک ہو سکتی ہیں: شیرپاؤ" [Casualties can be as high as 50: Sherpa]. BBC Urdu (in Urdu). Archived from the original on 2024-11-08. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
  29. ^ a b "'جھڑپیں بند نہ ہوئیں تو فوج استعمال کریں گے'" ['They will use the army if the clashes don't stop']. BBC Urdu (in Urdu). 2007-04-08. Archived from the original on 2024-11-08. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
  30. ^ a b "Clashes in Kurram Agency intensify". Dawn. 2007-04-09. Archived from the original on 2024-06-09. Retrieved 2007-04-09.
  31. ^ Salman, Ali (2007-04-08). "BBCUrdu.com" [Parachinar riots: 'US has agenda']. BBC Urdu (in Urdu). Archived from the original on 2021-03-14. Retrieved 2024-11-09.
  32. ^ a b "فریقین پر فوج کی گولہ باری" [Army shelling on the parties]. BBC Urdu (in Urdu). 2007-04-09. Archived from the original on 2024-11-09. Retrieved 2024-11-09.
  33. ^ "Mortar shell kills security man as clashes continue in Pakistan tribal region". IRNA. 2007-04-09. Archived from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-04-10.
  34. ^ "Riots continue in Kurram Agency". Dawn. 2007-04-10. Archived from the original on 2008-03-30. Retrieved 2007-04-10.
  35. ^ a b "'لڑائی کی شدت ناقابلِ بیان ہے'" ['The intensity of the fight is indescribable']. BBC Urdu (in Urdu). 2007-04-10. Archived from the original on 2024-11-09. Retrieved 2024-11-09.
  36. ^ a b "کرم: فائر بندی کی کوشش اور ہلاکتیں" [Kurram: Ceasefire Attempt and Casualties]. BBC Urdu (in Urdu). 2007-04-12. Archived from the original on 2024-11-09. Retrieved 2024-11-09.
  37. ^ a b "Riot toll in Kurram Agency rises to 50". Dawn. 2007-04-11. Archived from the original on 2024-11-09. Retrieved 2007-04-11.
  38. ^ "More troops deployed in Parachinar". Daily Times. 2007-04-11. Archived from the original on 2012-11-06. Retrieved 2007-04-11.
  39. ^ a b c "15 killed in attack on two villages". Dawn. 2007-04-12. Archived from the original on 2023-06-19. Retrieved 2024-11-09.
  40. ^ a b c "صدہ میں جنگ بندی، پارا چنار میں کرفیو" [Cease fire in Sada, curfew in Para Chinar]. BBC Urdu (in Urdu). 2007-04-11. Archived from the original on 2024-11-09. Retrieved 2024-11-09.
  41. ^ a b "Sunnis and Shias clash in Pakistan". Al Jazeera. 2007-04-11. Archived from the original on 2024-11-09. Retrieved 2024-11-09.
  42. ^ a b "Pakistan sectarian battles rage". BBC News. 2007-04-12. Archived from the original on 2019-08-27. Retrieved 2024-11-09.
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  44. ^ "کرم ایجنسی میں عارضی جنگ بندی" [Temporary ceasefire in Kurram Agency]. BBC Urdu (in Urdu). 2007-04-12. Archived from the original on 2024-11-09. Retrieved 2024-11-09.
  45. ^ "پارہ چنار میں کرفیو میں نرمی" [Relaxation of curfew in Para Chanar] (in Urdu). BBC Urdu. 2007-04-13. Archived from the original on 2024-11-09. Retrieved 2007-04-13.
  46. ^ "Car Bomb In NW Pakistan Kills 10". CBS News. 2007-08-04. Archived from the original on 2024-11-09. Retrieved 2024-11-09.
  47. ^ a b "Sectarian clashes in Pakistani tribal area; 30 killed". Reuters. 2007-11-17. Archived from the original on 2021-05-17. Retrieved 2024-11-09.
  48. ^ "Pakistanis die in sectarian clashes". Al Jazeera. 2007-11-18. Archived from the original on 2020-10-24. Retrieved 2024-11-09.
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  51. ^ "Twelve more killed in sectarian violence in Pakistan". Reuters. 2007-11-19. Archived from the original on 2021-05-16. Retrieved 2024-11-09.
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