Pakistan's Shia-Sunni Clashes Leave 13 Dead

In the ongoing conflict between Shia and Sunni communities in Pakistan, another 13 people have been killed in the past two days. Among the deceased, two were Sunni and 11 were Shia. Fifty others have been injured, according to local government officials, as reported by the AFP news agency.

With these recent deaths, the total toll from the recent clashes between the two communities has now reached 124. Local authorities have warned that the repeated defiance of ceasefire orders by both sides could lead to further violence.

Pakistan is a Sunni-majority country, but in the Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, near the Afghan border, Shia Muslims form the majority. The area has been a hotspot for sectarian violence for decades.

The recent clashes began after an attack on two separate Shia Muslim groups under police escort 10 days ago, which killed over 40 people. This incident sparked the current wave of violence.

For the past 10 days, Shia and Sunni fighters have been engaged in battles with both light and heavy weaponry. As a result, the overall situation in the region has become paralyzed, with major roads shut down and mobile phone services suspended due to the rising death toll.

A government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP, "There is a deep lack of trust between the two sides, and neither is willing to abide by government orders to cease the conflict."

Police have said that many people are attempting to flee the area due to the violence, but the deteriorating security situation is preventing them from doing so.

The provincial government had brokered a seven-day ceasefire agreement at the end of last week, but it failed to hold. Another 10-day agreement was made last Wednesday, but it too failed to stop the fighting.