2007 Kurram Agency conflict explained

Conflict:2007 Kurram Agency conflict
Partof:the War in North-West Pakistan and
Sectarian violence in Pakistan
Date:6 April13 April 2007
Place:Kurram Agency, Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Pakistan
Result:
  • Clashes extinguish by 13 April 2007, however Shia militias claimed victory and asked the Pakistan Army to overtake captured areas from the terrorists.[1]
  • The army regains lands, Shia militias victory
  • Pakistani Taliban and their allies experience heavy losses[2]
Combatant1: Pakistan

Local law enforcement

Combatant2:Local Sunni fighters Pakistani Taliban
Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan
Lashkar-e-Jhangvi
Combatant3:Local Shia fighters

The 2007 Kurram Agency conflict began on 6 April 2007 in Kurram Agency, Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Pakistan when a Sunni gunman on a Friday prayer held by Shia in Parachinar. It left more than 40 people dead and more than 150 people wounded .[3] [4] Tension had been brewing in the area adjacent to the Afghan border since April 1 when the sectarian group Ahl-e-Sunnat Wal Jamaat taking part in Mawlid (prophet Muhammad's birthday) when some of Sunni people having guns shot the Shia people.

Timeline

April conflict

April 6

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.[5] [6] [7] In response, Shias in Parachinar held a protest on 6 April where they responded with counter-slogans against Sunnis. During the procession, an unidentified gunman opened fire on the crowd. Riots then consumed the city, with raiding and looting of local Sunni storefronts being reported. 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.[8]

April 7

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.[9] [10] The sectarian groups were reportedly using heavy weaponry such as mortars and rocket-propelled grenades.[11] A rocket attack on a home in Parachinar killed 14 people, including two women and four children.[12] The government announced that anyone seen violating the curfew would be shot at by authorities. According to a FATA official, 40 people had been killed and 70 were wounded during the two day of fighting.[13]

April 8

Violence between sectarian fighters cooled down in Parachinar but intensified across Upper and Lower Kurram as tribal elders attempted to resolve the situation.[14] 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.[15] Fighting in Sadda killed six people and led to electricity being disabled in the town. Additional clashes were reported in Teri Mangal, Balish Khel, Bashra, Mali Khel, Kadman and Para Chamkani among other areas. PTI chairman Imran Khan suggested that the conflict could be manufactured by the United States in order to harm Pakistan's relations with Iran.[16]

April 9

The government issued an ultimatum to cease all hostilities by 10 April or else an army offensive would be launched against the tribal fighters.[17] Mortar fire hit a government building in Alizai, killing a security officer and injuring multiple others.[18] [19] A mortar shell struck a house in Sadda, killing two children and injuring four.[20] Twelve people from Sadda were brought to a hospital in Peshawar, two of them dying in treatment.

April 10

Clashes between fighters in Sadda and Balash Khel killed around 20 people according to locals.[21] Electricity in Kurram was completely cut following an attack on the main transmission line in Alizai.[22] The army fired artillery from their base in Parachinar across various areas in Kurram. Army reinforcements also entered Parachinar and Alizar.[23]

April 11

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.[24] Four people were killed in Shalozan Tangi, while a rocket attack in Shoblan killed a woman and injured two children in a house. A rocket hit a house in Almsher village killing a woman. Army soldiers entered Sadda, leading a gunfight which left four sectarian fighters dead and another four injured.[25] [26] After securing the city, local authorities announced the establishment of a ceasefire in the city. A reduction in hostilities around the outskirts of Parachinar was reported.

April 12

Five Shia's were reportedly killed by gunmen in Chardewar, with another five suffering injuries.[27] Clashes with bandits in Jilamai killed four people.[28] A Peace Jirga delegation of twenty Sunni and twenty Shia scholars and tribal elders arrived at Parachinar after travelling from Hangu the previous day. A ceasefire across Kurram agency was later declared.[29]

April 13

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.[30]

August attack

On 4 August, a suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a bus station in Parachinar, killing 10 people and injuring 35 others.[31]

November conflict

Clashes broke out in Parachinar after armed gunmen opened fire inside a Sunni mosque on 16 November, killing at least 10 people.[32] [33] 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. By 18 November, at least 61 people had been killed, with the government imposing a curfew upon the city once again.[34] On 19 November, Pakistani soldiers with attack helicopter support moved into the city, forcing the sectarian fighters to retreat from their positions. 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.[35] [36]

References

  1. Web site: 2018-07-13. Death takfiris from Kurram's sectarian past. 2021-05-25. Daily Times. en-US.
  2. Web site: 2018-07-13. Death takfiris from Kurram's sectarian past. 2021-05-25. Daily Times. en-US.
  3. News: 2007-04-09 . Deadly clashes rage in Pakistan . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230824051816/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6534473.stm . 2023-08-24 . 2007-04-09 . BBC News .
  4. News: 40 killed over 70 injured in Pakistan sectarian clashes . IRNA . 2007-04-07 . 2007-04-09 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070930211714/http://www2.irna.ir/en/news/view/menu-239/0704073143210303.htm . 2007-09-30 . dead .
  5. Web site: Perlez . Jane . Shah . Pir Zubair . 2008-07-26 . Power Rising, Taliban Besiege Pakistani Shiites . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230717041058/https://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/26/world/asia/26pstan.html . 2023-07-17 . 2024-11-07 . The New York Times.
  6. Web site: Maher . Mahim . 2017-07-07 . How Parachinar got Pakistan to listen . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240612193546/https://thefridaytimes.com/07-Jul-2017/how-parachinar-got-pakistan-to-listen . 2024-06-12 . 2024-11-08 . The Friday Times . en.
  7. Web site: 2007-04-07 . Curfew in Parachinar after three killed . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20241108025731/https://www.dawn.com/news/241169/curfew-in-parachinar-after-three-killed . 2024-11-08 . 2024-11-08 . Dawn . en.
  8. Web site: Rasheed . Haroon . 2007-04-06 . پارہ چنار:لڑائی پھیل گئی، فوج طلب . Para Chinar: Fighting spread, army called . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20241108031338/https://www.bbc.com/urdu/pakistan/story/2007/04/070406_parachinar_haroon . 2024-11-08 . 2024-11-08 . . ur.
  9. Web site: 2007-04-07 . پارہ چنار: فرقہ وارانہ تصادم میں 8 ہلاک . Para Chinar: 8 killed in communal clashes . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20241108033106/https://www.bbc.com/urdu/pakistan/story/2007/04/070407_parachinar_fighting_ns . 2024-11-08 . 2024-11-08 . BBC Urdu . ur.
  10. News: 2007-04-08 . 40 dead in Parachinar fighting: official . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210513184112/https://www.dawn.com/news/241347/40-dead-in-parachinar-fighting-official . 2021-05-13 . 2007-04-09 . Dawn .
  11. News: 2007-04-08 . Death toll hits 15 in Pakistan sectarian clashes . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20231003192003/https://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSISL15197420070408 . 2023-10-03 . 2007-04-09 . Reuters .
  12. Web site: 2007-04-07 . Sectarian riots erupt in Pakistan . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20241108032604/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2007/4/7/sectarian-riots-erupt-in-pakistan . 2024-11-08 . 2024-11-08 . Al Jazeera . en.
  13. Web site: Rasheed . Haroon . 2007-04-07 . ہلاکتیں 50 تک ہو سکتی ہیں: شیرپاؤ . Casualties can be as high as 50: Sherpa . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20241108033744/https://www.bbc.com/urdu/pakistan/story/2007/04/070407_para_update . 2024-11-08 . 2024-11-08 . BBC Urdu . ur.
  14. Web site: 2007-04-08 . ’جھڑپیں بند نہ ہوئیں تو فوج استعمال کریں گے‘ . 'They will use the army if the clashes don't stop' . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20241108040759/https://www.bbc.com/urdu/pakistan/story/2007/04/070408_kuram_fighting_rs . 2024-11-08 . 2024-11-08 . BBC Urdu . ur.
  15. News: 2007-04-09 . Clashes in Kurram Agency intensify . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240609210425/https://www.dawn.com/news/241478/clashes-in-kurram-agency-intensify . 2024-06-09 . 2007-04-09 . Dawn .
  16. Web site: Salman . Ali . 2007-04-08 . BBCUrdu.com . Parachinar riots: 'US has agenda' . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210314192721/https://www.bbc.com/urdu/pakistan/story/2007/04/070408_imran_presser_rza . 2021-03-14 . 2024-11-09 . BBC Urdu . ur.
  17. Web site: 2007-04-09 . فریقین پر فوج کی گولہ باری . Army shelling on the parties . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20241109005809/https://www.bbc.com/urdu/pakistan/story/2007/04/070409_parachinar_update_ns . 2024-11-09 . 2024-11-09 . BBC Urdu . ur.
  18. News: 2007-04-09 . Mortar shell kills security man as clashes continue in Pakistan tribal region . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070930223923/http://www2.irna.ir/en/news/view/menu-239/0704094965230714.htm . 2007-09-30 . 2007-04-10 . IRNA.
  19. News: 2007-04-10 . Riots continue in Kurram Agency . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20080330054104/http://www.dawn.com/2007/04/10/top6.htm . 2008-03-30 . 2007-04-10 . Dawn .
  20. Web site: 2007-04-10 . ’لڑائی کی شدت ناقابلِ بیان ہے‘ . 'The intensity of the fight is indescribable' . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20241109020351/https://www.bbc.com/urdu/pakistan/story/2007/04/070410_kurram_clashes_injured . 2024-11-09 . 2024-11-09 . BBC Urdu . ur.
  21. Web site: 2007-04-12 . کرم: فائر بندی کی کوشش اور ہلاکتیں . Kurram: Ceasefire Attempt and Casualties . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20241109032432/https://www.bbc.com/urdu/pakistan/story/2007/04/070412_hangu_jirga_ns . 2024-11-09 . 2024-11-09 . BBC Urdu . ur.
  22. News: 2007-04-11 . Riot toll in Kurram Agency rises to 50 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20241109004530/https://www.dawn.com/news/241806/riot-toll-in-kurram-agency-rises-to-50 . 2024-11-09 . 2007-04-11 . Dawn .
  23. News: 2007-04-11 . More troops deployed in Parachinar . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121106235702/http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\04\11\story_11-4-2007_pg7_7 . 2012-11-06 . 2007-04-11 . Daily Times .
  24. Web site: 2007-04-12 . 15 killed in attack on two villages . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230619172505/https://www.dawn.com/news/241979/15-killed-in-attack-on-two-villages . 2023-06-19 . 2024-11-09 . Dawn . en.
  25. Web site: 2007-04-11 . صدہ میں جنگ بندی، پارا چنار میں کرفیو . Cease fire in Sada, curfew in Para Chinar . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20241109030238/https://www.bbc.com/urdu/pakistan/story/2007/04/070411_parachinar_firing_rs . 2024-11-09 . 2024-11-09 . BBC Urdu . ur.
  26. Web site: 2007-04-11 . Sunnis and Shias clash in Pakistan . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20241109030437/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2007/4/11/sunnis-and-shias-clash-in-pakistan . 2024-11-09 . 2024-11-09 . Al Jazeera . en.
  27. News: 2007-04-12 . Pakistan sectarian battles rage . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20190827173113/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6548267.stm . 2019-08-27 . 2024-11-09 . BBC News . en-GB.
  28. Web site: 2007-04-14 . Curfew relaxed in Parachinar . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20241109040109/https://www.dawn.com/news/amp/242295 . 2024-11-09 . 2024-11-09 . Dawn . en.
  29. Web site: 2007-04-12 . کرم ایجنسی میں عارضی جنگ بندی . Temporary ceasefire in Kurram Agency . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20241109033013/https://www.bbc.com/urdu/pakistan/story/2007/04/070412_khurram_ceasefire_fz . 2024-11-09 . 2024-11-09 . BBC Urdu . ur.
  30. News: 2007-04-13 . پارہ چنار میں کرفیو میں نرمی . Relaxation of curfew in Para Chanar . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20241109033333/https://www.bbc.com/urdu/pakistan/story/2007/04/070413_kurram_curfew . 2024-11-09 . 2007-04-13 . BBC Urdu . ur.
  31. Web site: 2007-08-04 . Car Bomb In NW Pakistan Kills 10 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20241109041933/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/car-bomb-in-nw-pakistan-kills-10/ . 2024-11-09 . 2024-11-09 . CBS News . en-US.
  32. Web site: 2007-11-17 . Sectarian clashes in Pakistani tribal area; 30 killed . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210517213415/https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSL17195871/ . 2021-05-17 . 2024-11-09 . Reuters.
  33. Web site: 2007-11-18 . Pakistanis die in sectarian clashes . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20201024145931/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2007/11/18/pakistanis-die-in-sectarian-clashes . 2020-10-24 . 2024-11-09 . Al Jazeera . en.
  34. Web site: 2007-11-18 . US Envoy Calls on Musharraf to Lift Emergency Rule . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240423175615/https://lao.voanews.com/a/a-52-2007-11-18-voa1-90680629/1185224.html . 2024-04-23 . 2024-11-09 . Voice of America Lao . lo.
  35. News: 2007-11-19 . Pakistan clashes 'leave 80 dead' . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230709180105/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7101533.stm . 2023-07-09 . 2024-11-09 . BBC News . en-GB.
  36. Web site: 2007-11-19 . Twelve more killed in sectarian violence in Pakistan . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210516030038/https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSISL258335/ . 2021-05-16 . 2024-11-09 . Reuters.

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