Sixteen people were killed over a decades-long land dispute between two tribes in Pakistan's coal-rich northwest, police said Tuesday (16).
The Akhorwal tribe opened fire on the Suni Khel tribe from an elevated position on Monday (15), police said, as the latter marked the boundaries of their territory in the mountainous area of Darra Adam Khel, less than 100 kilometres (60 miles) from the Afghan border.
"The tribes were equipped with powerful firearms, and within a matter of minutes, the violent clash had resulted in a significant number of casualties," Farhan Khan, a senior police official, said.
Khan said the clash followed several previous jirgas - tribal councils of elders responsible for settling disputes - that had failed to yield any resolution.
"The clash left 12 individuals from the Suni Khel tribe and four individuals from the Akhorwal tribe dead, while an additional four people sustained injuries," local police spokesman Fazal Naeem said.
Inter-family feuds are common in Pakistan but in the mountainous northwestern region - where communities abide by traditional tribal honour codes - they can be particularly protracted and violent.
Darra Adam Khel is a part of the Kohat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, home to the largest coal reserves in the region, with disputes over deposits common between tribes.
Despite safety concerns and a lack of regulatory oversight, mining is a vital source of employment and income for the local community.
The police said that since the shooting, the situation in the area had been brought under control with the involvement of a local jirga.
Darra Adam Khel is part of the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), a semi-autonomous region in northwestern Pakistan that was merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in 2018, bringing it into the legal and administrative mainstream.
(AFP)
16 killed in Pakistan tribal clash over coal-rich mountains
The Akhorwal tribe opened fire on the Suni Khel tribe from an elevated position on Monday (15), as the latter marked the boundaries of their territory in Darra Adam Khel
During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)
Man pleads not guilty to murder of BBC presenter's family
A 26-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to charges of murdering the wife and two daughters of BBC sports commentator John Hunt in a crossbow and knife attack.
Kyle Clifford, who also faces charges of rape, appeared via video link at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday.
Clifford, arrested in July after a manhunt, is charged with three counts of murder, one count each of rape and false imprisonment, and two counts of possessing offensive weapons – a 10-inch knife and a crossbow.
During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session.
He is expected to enter a plea for that charge at a later date.
The victims were Carol Hunt, 61, wife of horseracing commentator John Hunt, and their daughters Louise, 25, and Hannah, 28.
An earlier hearing revealed that Louise had been found tied up and that both she and her sister had been shot with a crossbow, while their mother had been stabbed with a knife.
The fatal attack occurred at the family’s home in Bushey, a commuter town near Watford, northwest of London.
(With inputs from AFP)