Tribal sectarian violence in the restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region in northwest Pakistan has killed at least 37 people and injured more than two dozen others in the past 24 hours, according to police on Saturday.

Clashes between the Alizai and Bagan tribes in Kurram district, which borders Afghanistan, erupted after an attack on a passenger van convoy near Parachinar on Thursday, resulting in 47 deaths. Top officials from the administration and police have flown to the area by helicopter. Currently, at least 37 people are confirmed dead, but the death toll is still rising, according to an official gathering details about the incident.

Over 30 people have been injured, according to officials. The tribes are fighting each other using heavy and automatic weapons, the police reported. Fighting has caused damage to homes and shops, and people from several villages have fled to safer areas. All schools in the district were closed on Saturday, according to Muhammad Hayat Hassan, chairman of the Private Education Network. Videos from the area showed at least six attackers' bodies and some charred victims' bodies. Police also reported that six women were captured, but due to poor communication, it's difficult to confirm more details.

Gunfire continued throughout the day in Balishkhel, Khar Kali, Kunj Alizai, and Maqbal, with intermittent firing still ongoing in at least three areas of the district. The Thall-Sada-Parachinar Highway was also closed to traffic heading towards Kohat district. Despite efforts to restore peace, communication from tribal elders indicated that attacks could escalate further. A high-level government team, including the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Law Minister, Chief Secretary, and Inspector General of Police, has flown to the Kurram tribal district by helicopter. The delegation’s goal is to improve the security situation in the area, which has been severely affected by sectarian violence.

Tribal leaders have raised serious concerns as they have been asking the government for safe travel options for citizens for the past one and a half months Two weeks ago, over 100,000 people took part in a peace march, calling for the reopening and security of the main highway. In response, the government promised to ensure safe convoys. In September, violent clashes over land between Shia and Sunni tribes in Kurram district led to more than 50 deaths and 120 injuries over eight days. The fighting was so intense that it resulted in the closure of the Parachinar-Peshawar road and the Pak-Afghan Kharlachi border, causing major disruptions in transportation and movement.

Residents' lives are becoming more difficult as a result of the road closure, which has caused a lack of necessities including food, fuel, and medications. The district, which borders the Afghan provinces of Khost, Paktia, Logar, and Nangarhar, has seen fighting to expand to regions like Balishkhel, Sadda, Khar Kallay, Peewar, and Maqbal. Both the Pakistani Taliban and ISIS are known to have strongholds in certain areas. In July, similar conflicts in this region left over 225 people injured and many dead.