Eight Killed in Pakistan School Shootings

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Facts

  • Seven school workers allegedly part of Pakistan’s minority Shiite community were killed in a shooting in Pakistan’s northwestern Kurram district, according to officials. This comes hours after a Sunni staff member at the same school was shot earlier on Thursday in a separate incident.1
  • Police say the later attack — which also left two injured — happened after students finished examinations. All eight casualties from the two incidents were men, including five teachers and three school support staff members.2
  • The suspects are still at large, and Kurram police official Abbas Ali says it's unknown whether the two shootings were related. However, attacks on Pakistan’s minority Shiite population have been growing, especially in Kuram’s province, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.3
  • Since the district is closed to journalists, information from the area is scarce. Reporters have been unable to reconcile conflicting accounts as the province’s chief minister said the attack was over a property dispute while the regional commissioner blamed sectarian antagonism.4
  • Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif condemned the shooting and asked officials in the region to provide a report. School officials added that the students inside the examination center remained safe.5
  • Another district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, North Waziristan, saw six soldiers die in a shootout Thursday, but few details were provided. The region was largely controlled by the Tehrik-e Taliban (TTP), also known as the Pakistani Taliban.6

Sources: 1Associated Press, 2CNN, 3Al Jazeera, 4Reuters, 5The Express Tribune, and 6ABC News.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. While there's limited information, preliminary evidence indicates that sectarian violence motivated the heinous attack on seven Shiite teachers in northwestern Pakistan. After a Sunni Muslim was killed earlier in the day, gunmen retaliated, killing members of Islam’s other sect. The perpetrators must be held accountable.
  • Narrative B, as provided by Aaj English TV. While some believe that sectarian animus amid rising tensions in the region caused the shootings, it's very likely that the area’s proximity to Afghanistan could have played a role, as Kurram has seen multiple cross-border terror attacks. Pakistan's government needs to take assertive action to prevent future acts of terrorism.