Claim: A widely shared video shows a young victim of the recent violence in Parachinar in the Kurram District.
Fact: While the violence in Kurram, which began on 21 November 2024, has claimed over 80 lives—including women and children—and injured more than 100, this specific video is not from Pakistan and predates the recent episode of sectarian violence in Parachinar.
On 22 November, X user @RiazToori shared a video (archive) of a toddler, writing, “The smallest coffin is indeed the heaviest.
One of the infants who was brutally killed in the attack on the convoy of #Parachinar.”
The video has been shared widely across social media platforms.
What’s happening in Parachinar?
Since July, sectarian violence has escalated between Shia and Sunni tribes over land disputes in Kurram, a region bordering Afghanistan. According to Al Jazeera, on 21 November, gunmen opened fire on two separate convoys of Shia pilgrims travelling with police escorts in Kurram. The report further noted that no group has claimed responsibility for the attacks. The attacks occurred when the convoys were on their way from the district headquarters of Parachinar to Peshawar, according to Javedullah Mehsud, the deputy commissioner of Kurram.
Read more: Image of wounded girl misattributed to recent Parachinar attack
Provincial Minister Aftab Alam confirmed that 42 people were killed in the attack on Shia convoys in Kurram, with investigations underway to identify those responsible, according to the Associated Press. Witnesses reported intense violence, with four gunmen emerging from vehicles and opening fire on buses and cars, while others fired from nearby fields, the report stated. The assault lasted for about 40 minutes, leaving survivors hiding and helpless. Mir Hussain, a resident, informed AP that he heard the cries of women and desperate pleas for help during the attack.
Ibne Ali Bangash, a relative of one victim, told the AP that it was the saddest day in Kurram’s history, criticising the government for its failure to protect the community. Baqir Haideri, a local Shiite leader who spoke to the AP, accused authorities of neglecting security for the convoy of over 100 vehicles despite recent threats by militants targeting Shias in the region.
On 21 November, The Khorasan Diary reported 44 deaths from the convoy attack, with the district control room confirming 44 bodies and 16 injuries. However, the publication also cited independent sources from Kurram which indicated that the death toll had risen to 51, with around 81 injuries, two of which were soldiers.
A report by Reuters from 22 November quoted Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry, as saying that a woman and a child were among the fatalities in the Kurram attack. He described the incident as a major tragedy and added that the death toll is likely to rise.
Read more: Viral video of missile launches not linked to Parachinar
According to the most recent update by The Khorasan Diary, violence across the district has resulted in at least 88 deaths and 102 injuries. France 24 reported that the incident on 21 November sparked retaliatory attacks against Sunni residents and gunfights between groups from both sides in the district. On 24 November, the government mediated a seven-day ceasefire in the region, the report added.
Fact or Fiction?
Soch Fact Check conducted a reverse- image search and found that the video had been shared on TikTok as early as 11 September 2024. The video was captioned: “My little sweetheart, mommy loves tou! #babymom #babyfever #2nd #babytalk #lovedbymama #fyp #born2024 #babyboy #cuteboy #sweet”
The user, who identifies as a mother of two, has shared multiple videos on her account featuring the same child, including two tagged with the location of Oslo and Norway.
Soch Fact Check could not independently verify the date and location of the video; however, it was shared online as early as 11 September, 2024, and appears to be unrelated to the recent violence in District Kurram.
Virality
The video was shared here, here, here, and here on X. Archived here, here, here, and here.
On Facebook, it was shared here, here, here, here, here, and here. Archived here, here, here, here, here, and here.
It was also shared here, here, and here on Instagram.
Conclusion: While the 21 November attack on the convoy of pilgrims in Kurram resulted in significant casualties, including children, the viral video of a toddler is unrelated to the incident. In fact, the video is not from Pakistan.
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Background image in cover photo: AFP
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