ISLAMABAD, Nov. 22 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from Thursday afternoon's attack on passenger coaches in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has risen to 42, the province's Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Aftab Alam Afridi confirmed on Friday.
Talking to media, Afridi said that unidentified gunmen sprayed bullets at the coaches from the mountains in the Kurram tribal district of the province before fleeing the scene.
While initial reports suggest the attack might be linked to ongoing sectarian tensions between Shiite and Sunni Muslims in the area, the minister revealed that evidence also points toward a possible terrorist attack.
"All local sectarian groups have distanced themselves from the incident, prompting a broader investigation," Alam added.
Sources from Kurram told Xinhua that the convoy, carrying Shiite Muslim passengers, was en route to Parachinar when it was ambushed. The deceased have been moved to Shiite worship places and will be handed over to families for burial.
Twenty people also got injured in the attack and have been shifted to hospital for treatment, the sources added.
Kurram district has a history of sectarian violence. Earlier this year, in September, at least 60 people from both sects were killed in separate incidents, according to provincial governor Faisal Karim Kundi.
The country's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack and expressed deep sorrow over the loss of precious lives and extended sympathies to the bereaved families. ■