Oct 13, Kathmandu- Officials have said that 16 people, including three women and two children, have died in sectarian clashes in northwest Pakistan.

The Kurram district of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has been involved in fighting between the Sunni and Shia Muslim communities for a long time. The bloody clashes between the two sects in Kurram have claimed hundreds of lives over the years.

A senior official of the Kurram administration said on condition of anonymity that a group of Sunni were attacked on Saturday while they were traveling under the protection of paramilitary forces. According to the official, 14 people were killed in the attack and two attackers were killed in the retaliatory action of the police.

Dozens of people died in the clashes from July to September, and the situation calmed down only after the tribal council called a ceasefire.

Officials are trying to broker a new ceasefire. However, since these communities follow traditional tribal rules, it is said that violent incidents may occur again in remote areas.

The Shia community has been facing discrimination and violence for a long time in Pakistan, where the Sunni Muslim community is in majority.