Fighting between tribes leaves 47 dead

A gunfight between two tribes over disputed mountain territory close to the Afghan border on Saturday left at least 47 people dead and 25 others injured, officials and local sources said. A security source told AFP that the Mada Khel and Paipali Kabul Khel tribes of North Waziristan had been engaged in intense fighting since Friday to try to capture a mountain, which both groups claim. "The fight in Laoaara Mandi village in Data Khel area has so far left 47 people dead and 25 others injured," the official said.
He added that the fight for occupation of the mountain is still ongoing. Locals in the area confirmed the violence and said that the tribes support separate militant groups in the region. Another source, who is close to the political administration in the area, gave a lower toll, saying that 36 people were killed and 15 were injured. Tribes in these areas often fight bloody battles to assert their control over the region.