Six killed in attack on passenger vehicle in Lower Kurram

• Gunmen open fire on vehicle in Sadda area.
• Bodies shifted to tehsil headquarters hospital. 
• MNA Hameed Hussain strongly condemns attack.
  

LOWER KURRAM: At least six people were killed when unidentified assailants opened fire on a passenger vehicle in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) Lower Kurram area, police said on Wednesday.

The incident occurred in the Ahmad Khan Kale area when the vehicle, travelling from Para Chamkani to Sadda, came under attack by the attackers.

According to the local police, the motive behind the shooting was not immediately clear, adding that a heavy police contingent was dispatched to the area as an investigation was underway.

Police shifted the bodies to the tehsil headquarters hospital in Sadda for medico-legal formalities. 

Member of the National Assembly (MNA) Hameed Hussain strongly condemned the attack. He said such incidents in a peaceful area like Ahmad Khan Kale were incomprehensible and alleged that the assault appeared to be part of an organised conspiracy to spread unrest. He urged the local community to foil such attempts and support efforts for peace.

Separately, leaders of the Turi Bangash tribes also denounced the incident and called on the government to conduct a thorough investigation and take action against those responsible.

Kurram has been plagued by tribal violence fueled by decades-old land disputes. The conflict, which claimed at least 130 lives last year, saw a significant escalation in recent years.

A ceasefire agreement was reached in January this year, followed by a year-long peace deal signed in July between the Lower Kurram and Sadda tribes.