At least 11 people have been killed in tribal clashes in northwest Pakistan, a local official said.
Tensions have risen in Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province after two people were seriously injured in a shootout between rival tribes. It was not immediately clear what caused the shooting.
Vehicles were attacked in different areas of the district, resulting in more casualties, said Javedullah Khan, a senior official. Khan said efforts were being made to secure travel routes and restore calm in the area. The injured, including children, were taken to hospital.
Pir Haider Ali Shah, a former parliamentarian and member of a tribal council, said the elders had come to Kurram to mediate a peace deal between the tribes. He said: “The recent shooting incidents are regrettable and have hampered efforts to achieve lasting peace.”
Last month, at least 25 people were killed in several days of clashes between Shiite Muslims and armed Sunni Muslims over a land dispute. Although both groups live together largely peacefully in Pakistan, tensions have existed for decades in some areas, especially in Kurram, where Shia Muslims dominate in some parts of the district.
Also on Saturday, a separatist group in southwestern Pakistan claimed responsibility for an attack that killed 21 people. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) said its fighters attacked a coal mine in Duki district on Thursday night with heavy weapons, rocket launchers and grenades.
The BLA gave higher figures: 30 dead and 18 wounded. He also said that Pakistani security personnel were disguised as workers, without providing evidence, and threatened more attacks unless the military withdrew from the province.
Balochistan is home to several groups demanding independence from the federal government, accusing it of exploiting the oil- and mineral-rich province at the expense of the local population.
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