The Kurram District is situated in northern KPK. It recently came
under the direct control of the Pakistani Government as a result of the
FATA-KPK Merger in 2018. Most of the population is Pashtun, and occupying
tribes are split between Shia and Sunni majority denominations. Due to its
border with Afghanistan, the area has served as a haven for Anti-Shia armed
groups like ISIL and the TTP. The region was under the stronghold of the TTP
until 2008 when the Pakistani Army carried out military offensives under
Operaion Khwakh Ba De Shaam and Operation Koh-e-Safaid.
At present, the region is a flashpoint of sectarian tensions within
the Kurram Agency, especially within Parachinar. Land disputes often escalate
into sectarian violence that escalate into violence from both Shia and Sunni
sides.