The spiral of violence took a dangerous turn in the Kurram region almost two weeks ago, when an armed gang killed over 50 people in an ambush. Most of the victims were Shia Muslims.
No group has taken responsibility for the act, but among the retaliatory actions were arson attacks and armed assaults in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Over the weekend, 14 people were killed in violent incidents.
The central government managed to negotiate a ceasefire between the groups on November 24, but the agreement has been broken.
Shia Muslims make up a majority in the Kurram region, unlike large parts of Pakistan where Sunni Muslims dominate. The two religious groups usually coexist, but a dispute over land led to the violence.
