A Pakistani soldier died and six "terrorists" were killed after a convoy of 35 vehicles carrying food and medical supplies to Pakistan's Kurram district, hit by sectarian violence, was attacked by rockets on Thursday, officials said.

After the attack, the "terrorists" also burnt some of the vehicles carrying the relief material to Parachinar in the Bagan Bazar area of the strife-torn district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Sectarian clashes between Shia and Sunni tribes have claimed at least 130 lives since November, with food and medicine shortages reported due to weeks-long road blockades in the region. A peace agreement was reached on January 1, but the route connecting Parachinar remained blocked.

According to the district administration and police, the convoy of 35 vehicles was sent from Tall city to Parachinar in Kurram on Thursday. As soon as the first vehicle reached Bagan Bazaar, the convoy came under attack with rockets and automatic weapons.

According to Additional Deputy Commissioner Shaukat Ali, security forces retaliated to the attack in which one soldier and six "terrorists" were killed.

Four soldiers and 10 terrorists were also injured in the attack and three vehicles of the convoy were damaged, he said.

Officials said rockets were fired from two sides on the aid convoy.

Hangu Assistant Commissioner Saeed Mannan said the convoy comprising 35 vehicles had left from Thall and was on its way to Parachinar when it came under the rocket attack.

“The administration is working to bring the situation under control," he said.

Tribal leader Irshad Bangash said 16 vehicles, including 15 which were looted by the terrorists, returned to Thall.

Contact with the drivers of the remaining vehicles has been lost, he said.

Local trader leaders Haider Abbas and Malik Dildar said their last communication with the drivers revealed that the attackers were looting the vehicles, setting them on fire, and snatching mobile phones.

Another trader leader Nazir Ahmed said that drivers had been receiving threatening calls before the convoy set out. He demanded action against the attackers and those issuing threats and urged the government to take concrete measures to prevent repeated attacks on convoys and passenger vehicles in the same area.

Meanwhile, another convoy scheduled for today was escorted to the Chapri checkpoint but was sent back to Tall and Hangu due to security concerns.

Former Federal Minister Sajid Turi expressed concern over the repeated attacks on convoys and passenger vehicles in the region, which have left the people of the district hostage.

He highlighted that residents of Parachinar and surrounding besieged areas have been trapped for over two-and-a-half months due to blocked roads, leading to deaths caused by lack of food and medical care.

On Monday, Mohammad Ali Saif, adviser to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister on Information, said that under the peace agreement, the demolition of bunkers had begun in the Kurram district.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the situation in Kurram was “returning to normal”.

On January 4, a government convoy was attacked near Bagan, injuring Kurram Deputy Commissioner Javedullah Mehsud.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.