Truce called after 82 killed in Pakistan sectarian clashes

Both sides have agreed to a seven-day ceasefire, during which they will also exchange prisoners and return bodies to one another,

said Muhammad Ali Saif, spokesperson for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial government

The clashes and convoy attacks on November 21, 22, and 23 have resulted in 82 fatalities and 156 injuries,

said a local administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity

The parties also agreed to exchange prisoners and return the bodies of the deceased,

he said

There have been positive developments in engagements with stakeholders,

he said

The mobile network across Kurram remains suspended and traffic on the main highway is halted,

said the local administration official

Among the deceased 16 were Sunni, while 66 belonged to the Shia community,

he told AFP

Our priority today is to broker a ceasefire between both sides. Once that is achieved, we can begin addressing the underlying issues,

provincial Law Minister Aftab Alam Afridi said yesterday

Our top priority is to broker a cease-fire and establish a lasting peace in the district,

said Saif, also part of the government delegation

At least 37 are dead as at now (but) the death toll is still rising,

an official tasked with collecting details of the carnage told the media here

The fact that local rival groups clearly have access to heavy weaponry indicates that the state has been unable to control the flow of arms into the region,

the HRCP said in a statement

We informed the provincial government that the situation was critical and that additional troops needed to be urgently deployed,

the official said under anonymity

Gunfire suddenly erupted on Friday after sunset ... I realised it was an attack in retaliation for (Thursday's) incident and immediately grabbed my children, despite the bitter cold, and told my family to flee our home towards the mountains on foot,

Muhammad told AFP

Approximately 300 families have relocated to Hangu and Peshawar since this morning in search of safety,

a senior official told AFP,

The sight of houses in our village set ablaze was terrifying, I could see the entire village engulfed in flames,

he said

The people on the other hand are complaining that the government and the authorities have failed to provide security to the citizens,

Hyder said

After firing, they set the entire market ablaze and entered nearby homes, pouring petrol and setting them on fire. Initial reports suggest over 300 shops and more than 100 houses have been burned,

a senior police officer stationed in Kurram told AFP

Officials are describing this as a very tense situation,

he added

Educational institutions in Kurram are closed due to the severe tension. Both sides are targeting each other with heavy and automatic weapons,

said the officer

For hours on that night, heavy gunfire was exchanged between both sides, with large weapons being used freely,

said Mr. Shoaib, who on Friday morning had moved his family to stay with relatives in a neighboring district out of fear for their safety

We knew that there would be a retaliatory attack,

he said