Pakistan: At least 38 killed in sectarian attacks, says official

Gunmen in northern Pakistan killed at least 38 people in two attacks on Thursday, officials told AFP, part of a sectarian conflict that has claimed dozens of lives in recent months.

Sunni and Shiite Muslim tribes have been engaged in intermittent fighting for several months in the mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Sectarian clashes have seen hundreds of people killed over the years in the province's Kurram district, formerly a semi-autonomous area.

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Thursday's attacks targeted two separate convoys of Shiite Muslims travelling in Kurram, Javed ullah Mehsud, a senior administration official, told AFP.

"The death toll has now risen to 38, with 11 others injured in both attacks," he said, revising an earlier toll.

"Initial reports confirm that the victims include six women, several children, and police officers," he added.

"Approximately 10 attackers were involved in both incidents, firing indiscriminately from both sides of the road."

A police officer confirmed the latest toll, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

"Both convoys consisted of around 40 vehicles travelling under police escort," he told AFP.

Mehsud said that "women and children sought refuge in local houses, and we are currently searching for (the attackers) in the area."

"Initial reports suggest it was the same sectarian issue that has plagued the region for months," he said, adding that most of the victims were Shia.

Ajmeer Hussain, 28, was among those attacked and taken to a local hospital for treatment.

"Gunfire suddenly erupted and I started reciting my prayers, thinking these were my final moments," Ajmeer Hussain, a 28-year-old victim being treated at a local hospital, told AFP.

"I laid down at the feet of the two passengers sitting next to me. Both of them were struck by multiple bullets and died instantly," he added.

"The shooting lasted for about five minutes."