Armed men attack convoy of oil tankers in Pakistan to disrupt supply of fuel

A convoy of oil tankers was attacked by unidentified armed men in the troubled northwest Pakistan to disrupt the supply of diesel and petrol to Kurram district, police said.

Gunmen opened fire on the convoy in the Bagan area on Monday. However, no damage was reported, with oil carriers reaching the Alizai area in the district afterwards.

When the convoy reached Bagan Bazaar under police and security forces escort, the miscreants opened heavy fire from the nearby Talu Kunj area, police said.

Officials said three convoys transported food and other essentials from the Thal area in the Hangu district to Kurram.

They said the first convoy had 62 vehicles, while the second comprised 58 large cargo trucks.

The officials said the third convoy, including five tankers, successfully delivered petroleum products to Kurram on Monday for the first time since the closure of routes.

Members of the peace jirga said that they would discuss violations of the recent peace agreement, especially the firing on oil tankers in Bagan, and finalize a course of action against troublemakers.

Member of the Provincial Assembly from the area, Ali Hadi Irfani, condemned the attack, saying vested interests were bent on creating unrest in Kurram.

Irfani said he would raise the issue in the peace jirga sitting on Tuesday and urge the jirga and government to fulfil responsibilities regarding repeated violations of the peace agreement.

Sectarian clashes between Shia and Sunni tribes have claimed at least 130 lives since November last year, with food and medicine shortages reported due to weeks-long road blockades in the region. A peace agreement was reached between the warring tribes on January 1, but the route connecting Parachinar remained blocked.

Under the peace agreement, residents pledged to surrender their weapons to the state in different phases within 15 days, while the dismantling of local bunkers is to be completed by February 2025.

However, aid convoys have repeatedly been attacked in Kurram district in January, resulting in casualties.

Parachinar, upper Kurram, has been under siege for the past 119 days, with people dying due to a lack of essential supplies.