SUMMARY

The conflict between the Bangesh and the Turi tribes is mainly sectarian in nature, as the Turi tribes are Shia while many of the Bangesh tribesmen follow the Sunni form of Islam. Sectarian disputes in the area (Kurram Agency) have a long history - as early as 1987, Sunnis and Shia confronted each-other during a Muharram procession in the Sada area of Lower Kurram. Further, these disputes have been compounded by a number of factors occurring in the region throughout the 1990s and 2000s. As such, the ascendency of the fundamentalist Sunni Taliban in Afghanistan and the radicalization it brought with it (including in the border areas of Pakistan) increased already existing tensions. Moreover, weak borders allowed significant amounts of weapons, including heavy ones, to be trafficked to and from Pakistans tribal area, allowing members of the Turi and Bangesh tribes to arm themselves.

First signs of sectarian violence occurred during the annual Rabi-al-Awwal celebrations in April 2007, when both groups threw stones at each other. This violence escalated throughout 2007 and 2008, mainly influenced by the presence, and sometimes active support, of various insurgent organizations present in the area. Amongst these groups were TTP (Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan: Taliban Movement of Pakistan) and various local insurgent militias (Lashkars). While these groups were not directly involved in the sectarian fighting, they did give active support (more so as many tribal members were also active members in such organizations). For example TTP gave substantial aid to the Bangesh tribe. Further, insurgent groups prevented passage of tribal members through areas under their control, or conditioned it with strict limitations. TTP, for example, demanded the Turi to provide them full access to Kurram in exchange for free passage through the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. This, combined with the already existent isolation of the area as the Government of Pakistan had already blocked the most important roads, led to both increased grievances (as cost of basic staples increased substantially - rice costing over four times the cost in other areas of Pakistan), as well as to a situation where the two tribes were basically trapped inside the conflict area.

Both tribes used similar tactics - fighters were organized into relatively well-organized militias (Lashkars), some taking the name of more famous Islamist factions around the world (reports exist of Turi/Shia groups operating under the name of ‘Mahdi Militia’ and ‘Hezbollah’). These militias are reportedly well organized, engaging the enemy through frequent, relatively high-scale battles as well as in skirmishes and ambushes of various kinds. Both tribes had access to and utilized sophisticated weaponry, including automatic rifles, mortars and missiles. Bouts of fighting were alternated by various attempts of negotiation by a so-called Peace Jirga (meetings of the tribal councils especially convened in order to bring peace), calling for cease-fires and attempting to find a solution to the conflict.

Violence between the Bangesh and the Turi tribes took place throughout various areas of the Kurram Agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan. While violence was wide-spread throughout the Agency, it did not extend outside Kurram, as roads and other means of communications were unavailable.

The non-state conflict between the Bangesh and the Turi tribes is first included in UCDP data in 2008. Fighting between the two tribes in Kurram Agency of Pakistan in August 2008 led the conflict to exceed the 25 battle-related deaths threshold.