PESHAWAR: Over a long-standing land dispute between two tribes in Darra Adam Khel, at least 16 people were killed, police claimed on Tuesday.
According to the details provided by the local police, the Akhorwal tribe opened fire on the rival tribe Suni Khel from an elevated position on Monday. “Both the tribes were equipped with powerful weapons, and within a matter of short time, the violent clash killed a significant number of people on both sides,” Farhan Khan, a senior police officer, told AFP.
He said that the clash followed several jirgas (meetings) that had failed to yield any resolution. The Local police spokesman Fazal Naeem said, “The clash killed 12 people from the Suni Khel tribe and four from the Akhorwal tribe, while an additional four people got injured.”
Darra Adam Khel is home to the largest coal reserves in district Kohat, where disputes over deposits are common between local Pashtun tribes. Despite a lack of regulatory oversight and safety concerns, mining is an important source of income and employment for the local community.
The police claimed that by involving local Jirga, the situation in the area had been brought under control despite the massive shooting.
