Death toll from sectarian clashes jumps to 130 in NW Pakistan

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - The death toll from continued sectarian clashes in northwestern Pakistan jumped to 130 over the past 11 days as another six people were killed on Sunday.

Some 186 people have also been injured in armed clashes that broke out late last month in the restive Kurram tribal district near Afghanistan.

Deputy Commissioner Javedullah Mehsud told reporters that a cease-fire agreement has been enforced in the lower part of Kurram, whereas efforts are underway to persuade the warring Shia and Sunni tribes to follow suit in other parts of the district.

Shia and Sunni tribes have long been locked in disputes over land, which often turn into sectarian violence in Kurram.

Parachinar town of Kurram is one of a few Shia-dominated regions in mostly Sunni Pakistan.