As local factions clashed about disputed forest land, authorities stepped up security in the tribal areas of northwest Pakistan on Monday, officials said. At least 15 people have been killed and dozens injured in the last three days, officials said. To stop rumor-mongering, the Kurram district administration in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa jammed the cellular network. Along with local elders, the Army and the police chiefs, officials have negotiated a ceasefire between the warring parties.
Gaidu tribe members from Teri Megel village in Kurram district, 251 km from Peshawar, opened fire on Pewar tribe members who were picking firewood in the disputed area on Saturday afternoon. Over the last few months, tension has been evident between both tribes regarding the ownership of forest land in the Upper Subdivision of Kurram district.
In accordance with the truce, both tribes are barred from obtaining firewood in the disputed area. According to officials, anyone who breaks the agreement will be subject to legal action. ‘Four people were reported dead on Saturday and another 11 people died on Sunday and today (Monday). The gunmen used heavy weapons and even rocket launchers,’ the official said. The District Police Officer (DPO) of Kurram said that more than 100 tribesmen from both sides were raiding villages with guns.
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After heavy security deployments on Monday morning helped clear the raiders’ trenches and other hideouts, truce talks could then take place in the afternoon. According to officials, many of the injured are in critical condition, in addition to the 15 dead. The district of Kurram is located along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, where indiscriminate use of arms and frequent terror attacks are reported.
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