Islamabad, Pakistan - At least 13 people were killed and 40 injured today in clashes between rival Shia and Sunni groups in a tribal region in northwestern Pakistan, taking the death toll in four days of sectarian violence, apparently fuelled by Taliban fighters, to 51.
Fresh clashes between Shia Turi tribesmen and their rivals at Alizai and Chardewal in Kurrum Agency left 13 dead and 40 injured today, state-run APP news agency reported. It said 51 people had died and 70 were injured since the violence started on Sunday.
The clashes have intensified after Taliban fighters infiltrated into Kurram Agency from nearby tribal regions to back one of the factions.
Authorities in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas bordering Afghanistan have sought more army troops to control the situation.
The Turi tribesmen repulsed attacks and "caused heavy damage to the attackers", APP reported.
Tribal elders and religious leaders have accelerated peace efforts and contacted the rival groups to defuse tension.
A 16-member team, which was sent to Kurrum Agency to broker a peace deal, held talks with tribal elders but failed to finalise a truce. It may now be reconvened in a fresh bid to broker a truce, officials said.
Clashes were reported from Sadda, Balishkhel, Tangai, Pewar, Kanj Ali Zai, Maqbal Anzeri and Shashu areas. At Balishkhel, rival groups set houses on fire, displacing a large number of people.
Hundreds of armed Taliban fighters set two religious buildings on fire in Sadda, a city near Parachinar, the headquarters of Kurrum Agency.
They also attacked residential complexes with sophisticated weapons, causing heavy damage. The rival groups are using mortars, missiles and rocket launchers while the army is targeting the positions of the two sides with artillery in a bid to stop the fighting.
Haji Rauf Hussan, a member of the Parachinar Peace Committee, said the Taliban are the "main factor" for the resurgence of violence in Kurram Agency.
The Turi and Mengal tribes wanted durable peace but some elements were "out to destabilise the agency for their ulterior motives", he said.
The local people are facing difficulties as curfew has not been lifted for the past four days and all roads in the region have been closed for almost 40 days. This has cut off the supply of fuel, medicines and food from the North West Frontier Province.
Students too have been hit by the closure of educational institutes. Since mid-November, clashes between Shia Turi tribesmen and their Sunni Mengal rivals have claimed over 180 lives and left more than 400 injured.
Fresh fighting erupted over the weekend after a group of armed men looted and set afire houses and shops belonging to a rival sect in Parachinar.